56% of U.S. Voters Prefer Government Shutdown to Raising Debt Ceiling

While Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats try to claim House Republicans want to deprive the American people by hesitating to raise the debt ceiling, more than half of American voters prefer a government shutdown to increased spending, according to a new Rasmussen Reports poll. As usual, Democrats’ false sympathy is liable to hurt, not help, their constituents, and voters know it.

Rasmussen released the poll results Monday, which showed 56% of likely U.S. voters prefer a partial government shutdown until Congress agrees to maintain current spending or cut spending. Only 34% would prefer increased spending to a government shutdown. Americans know the United States already can’t afford what it spends, it seems — or perhaps voters have noticed that the government does less harm when it’s not working than when it is.

The Rasmussen poll asked, “Which is more to blame for the size of the federal budget deficit — taxpayers’ unwillingness to pay more in taxes or politicians’ unwillingness to reduce government spending?” and “Would you rather have Congress avoid a partial government shutdown by authorizing government spending at a higher level, or would you prefer a partial government shutdown until Democrats and Republicans can agree to either cut spending or keep it at its current level?” The poll was conducted Jan. 18-19 and 22 with a 95% level of confidence.

Besides the 56% who preferred government shutdown to increased spending, 66% of respondents said government spending, not taxpayer unwillingness, was the problem behind the size of the federal deficit. (Only 21% thought taxpayer unwillingness was more responsible and 13% were unsure.) This majority opinion contradicts Biden’s plan to increase taxes as a solution, Rasmussen noted. It’s unsurprising that taxpayers don’t think they owe our bloated government bureaucracy more money, considering that eggs are becoming unaffordable.

A majority of people from all political affiliations blamed the deficit on politicians’ lack of willingness to reduce government spending, however: “77% of Republicans, 52% of Democrats and 71% of voters not affiliated with either major party.” Voters over 65 and private sector employees are most likely to blame politicians for the deficit, and voters under 40 are less likely to prefer a government shutdown to increased spending, Rasmussen said. Likely voters earning between $30,000 and $50,000 a year are the most likely income group to support government shutdown over increased spending.

”While majorities of Republicans (73%) and unaffiliated voters (56%) would rather have a partial government shutdown until Congress can agree to either cut spending or keep it the same, only 41% of Democrats agree.“

Exactly half of Democrats support increased spending, and Joe Biden’s strong supporters are most likely to endorse increased spending, while only 8% of voters who disapprove of Biden want the same.

A majority of American voters don’t want increased government spending or a raised debt ceiling. Democrat Party leadership wants them.