Voters Don’t Want a Shutdown, They Want Action on the National Debt Instead
Last Updated September 1, 2023
Congress faces a September 30 deadline to find agreement on a budget and avert a government shutdown. A vast majority of voters is urging them to come together to find a solution.
A new Peterson Foundation poll shows that nine-in-ten Americans want policymakers to work together to avoid a shutdown and focus on implementing solutions to our growing national debt. Strong majorities of voters across party lines believe a shutdown should be avoided because it harms the economy (77%) and because it distracts from America’s larger fiscal challenges (70%).
As Foundation CEO Michael Peterson said, “Nobody wins in a government shutdown, especially our economy and the American people.”
See the below infographic for further details on this new polling.
Further Reading
What Is the Primary Deficit?
The primary deficit is the difference between government revenues and spending, excluding interest payments. Learn more about the U.S. primary deficit.
What Are Automatic Stabilizers and How Do They Affect the Federal Budget?
To better respond to business cycle fluctuations, many important programs in the federal budget automatically adjust spending based on economic conditions.
Debt Ceiling Update: What’s at Stake
If lawmakers do not agree on raising or suspending the debt limit before the extraordinary measures are exhausted, there would be severe consequences.