POLL: Majority of Voters Prefer a Government Shutdown to Bigger Spending

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May 31, 2023

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 38% of likely United States voters would prefer to have Congress avoid a partial government shutdown by giving the green light to raise the federal debt limit. 

By contrast, 54% would rather go through a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans hammered out an agreement to either slash spending or keep it at its present level.

57% believe it’s likely that postponing the passage of a debt ceiling increase will cause the US to default on its debt payments, which includes 28% who believe such a default is very likely. 32% don’t view a default as a likely result of the postponement, which includes 10% who indicated that a default as not at all ;likely. An additional 11% are unsure.

By a roughly 3-to-1 margin, voters believe excessive spending has caused the current debt-ceiling brouhaha. 68% of respondents believed politicians’ unwillingness to reduce government spending is more to blame for the federal budget deficit’s size, compared to 23% who blame taxpayers’ unwillingness to pay higher taxes..

88% of Republican voters, 45% of Democrat voters, and 72% of independent voters believe spending is more to blame for the deficit. 40% of Democrat voters pin more of the blame on the unwillingness of taxpayers to pay more taxes. By contrast, 7% of Republican voters and 19% of independent voters hold similar views.

74% of Republican voters,  36% of Democrat voters, and 54% of independent voters would prefer a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans can reach an agreement on either cutting spending or keeping it at its current level. 57% of Democrat voters would prefer to have Congress avoid a partial government shutdown by authorizing higher levels of government spending, an opinion that 17% of Republican voters and 36% of independent voters share.

67% of Democrat voters, 45% of Republican voters, and 56% of independent voters believe it is at least somewhat likely that a delay in passing a debt-ceiling increase will cause the US to default on its debt payments. Voters who believe it’s very likely that postponing a debt-ceiling deal would cause a default are most likely to support Congress avoiding a partial government shutdown.

53% of white voters, 60% of black voters, and 55% of other non-black minority voters would rather support a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans come to an agreement on either cutting spending or maintaining it at its current level.

Voters making over $100,000 annually are more likely to believe that postponing a debt-ceiling increase would create a default. Voters making annual incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 are most likely to support a partial government shutdown.

Americans have the right instincts here. With the national debt close to $32 trillion, the US is on the verge of a fiscal crisis of colossal proportions. The political class in DC is to blame here as it has supported all manner of domestic and foreign policy spending boondoggles. 

Fiscal restraint is ultimately needed here to make things right. However, that will only occur if there’s a new leadership class in DC. A veritable regime change is needed for that to occur.

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