Add these latest poll results to the growing list of resistance to Biden’s big government agenda.
The past few months have been remarkably disastrous for Joe Biden, with little seen in the realm of good news in sight. Well, we can add another log of resistance to the growing policy pyre that is the Biden administration, as more people are saying they do not want his goal of a swelling government. Just as his massive spending proposal is trapped in a political roundabout, a general pushback from the public adds to the challenge.
Gallup has come out with new poll results that are both encouraging for those who lean to the side of liberty but also an added sign of how much good faith Joe Biden has squandered in a short time at the helm. Fifty-two percent of Americans today say they prefer that the government do less work, a number that is more in line with the traditional position of the nation. What makes this year’s return notable, however, is that this represents a sharp turnaround from last year — and it shows Biden losing the argument that more needs to be done.
In 2020, more people were in favor of the government taking on a greater role, only the second time in the past three decades that result was seen. The surge of the pandemic had more people willing to see the government take on more responsibility; the last time was after the 9/11 attacks. But in the past year, the arrival of Joe Biden has not extended that feeling, and today, the desire for more activity out of Washington has plunged across the political spectrum.
Some details are seen in the metrics. The biggest swing in attitude can be found among independents, a clear sign that Biden has not sold people on his desire for a significant expansion in federal programs. While last year 56% of independents wanted the government to do more, that has dropped over 18 points, and now those feeling the feds are doing too much is greater, at 57%.
Even among Democrats, who still look to D.C. in greater amounts, Biden has seen his support drop, as well. While it has only been a five-point dip from a high of 83 percent, the fact that his proposals are showing diminished interest from all groups is not a good sign for him going forward. While his base is lukewarm to the idea of more services, what is revealing is the clear rebuke by rest of the electorate.
Republicans are normally repelled by the idea of more federal activity, so their numbers are as low as expected. The aspect that is most illustrative of the loss of support for the administration is that the Independents not only had this sharp drop in interest, the current levels also show more resistance today than before the pandemic. Independents who feel the government is doing too much are six percentage points higher than had felt that way in 2019.
Another point of interest is the respondents’ stance on taxes. A sharp rise in voters is seen in those who hold the position that they prefer lower taxes and fewer government services. This is a clear indicator that Joe Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ proposal is not being embraced by the nation. Half want to see lower taxes, and another 29% want the levels to remain where they are. Even among his own party, Biden is not seeing spending enthusiasm. Only 37 percent of Democrats said they would prefer higher taxes and more government programs.
Anywhere you look across this poll, you cannot find any real support for this sweeping, spending desire the White House and the Democrats in Congress are pushing. The media have done their best to also sell the need/desire for the $3.5 trillion proposed in this bill, but the hard truth is there is not such a desire to be found in the electorate. Considering all the demonization we have seen for Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema over allegedly blocking the will of the people, it can be shown that those pushing for this spending are the ones defying what the American public wants.