Contact: Sarah Stipicevic, Press Secretary
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The January 2014 Fiscal Confidence Index, Modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index, is 42 (100 is Neutral); Continuing Negative Fiscal Outlook from 2013
85% of Voters Want the President and Congress to Spend More Time Addressing Our National Debt, a Five-point Increase Since December (80%)
NEW YORK — The Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s first Fiscal Confidence Index for 2014 shows that despite the recent budget agreement, voters remain deeply concerned about the nation’s long-term fiscal outlook. The Fiscal Confidence Index, modeled after the Consumer Confidence Index, is 42 (100 is neutral), indicating voters’ continuing negative outlook as we enter a new year.
The poll found that an overwhelming majority of voters (85%) want the President and Congress to spend more time addressing the national debt. However, for the first time since the aftermath of the government shutdown in October, fully one-half of voters (51%) say they are pessimistic that the country will be able to make progress on these issues over the next few years.
“Voters overwhelmingly agree that when it comes to the nation's long-term fiscal health, our work is not done. Uncertainty around our long-term fiscal outlook negatively impacts our economy, and Americans are urging their leaders to remain focused on finding solutions,” said Michael A. Peterson, President and COO of the Peter. G. Peterson Foundation.
The Fiscal Confidence Index measures public opinion about the national debt by asking six questions in three key areas:
The survey results from these three areas are weighted equally and averaged to produce the Fiscal Confidence Index value. The Fiscal Confidence Index, like the Consumer Confidence Index, is indexed on a scale of 0 to 200, with a neutral midpoint of 100. A reading above 100 indicates positive sentiment. A reading below 100 indicates negative sentiment.
Fiscal Confidence Index Key Data Points:
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation commissioned the poll by the Global Strategy Group and North Star Opinion Research to survey public opinion on the national debt. The nationwide poll included 1,000 U.S. registered voters, surveyed by telephone between January 20 and January 23, 2014. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%. The poll examined voters’ opinions on the national debt, political leadership, and America’s fiscal and economic health.
Detailed poll results can be found online at: www.pgpf.org/what-we-are-doing/education-and-awareness/fiscal-confidence-index
About the Peter G. Peterson Foundation
The Peter G. Peterson Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established by Pete Peterson — businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The Foundation is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key long-term fiscal challenges threatening America's future and to accelerating action on them. To address these challenges successfully, we work to bring Americans together to find and implement sensible, long-term solutions that transcend age, party lines and ideological divides in order to achieve real results. To learn more, please visit www.pgpf.org.
APPENDIX: Fiscal Confidence Index Methodology and Questions
CONCERN (36) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Thinking about our national debt over the last few years, would you say your level of concern has increased or decreased? ◊ Is that a lot or just a little? |
Jan 2014 | Dec 2013 | Nov 2013 | |
Increased a lot | 52% | 54% | 54% | |
Increased a little | 21% | 20% | 20% | |
Decreased a little | 8% | 8% | 9% | |
Decreased a lot | 5% | 3% | 4% | |
(No change) | 13% | 13% | 12% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 1% | 1% | 1% | |
INCREASED (NET) | 73% | 75% | 74% | |
DECREASED (NET) | 13% | 11% | 13% | |
When it comes to addressing our national debt, would you say things in the United States are heading in the right direction or do you think things are off on the wrong track? ◊ Do you feel that way strongly or just somewhat? |
Jan 2014 | Dec 2013 | Nov 2013 | |
Right direction-Strongly | 8% | 9% | 9% | |
Right direction-Somewhat | 19% | 16% | 14% | |
Wrong track-Somewhat | 17% | 18% | 18% | |
Wrong track-Strongly | 48% | 48% | 46% | |
(Neither/Mixed) | 6% | 5% | 7% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 3% | 5% | 5% | |
RIGHT DIRECTION (NET) | 27% | 25% | 23% | |
WRONG TRACK (NET) | 65% | 66% | 64% |
PRIORITY (22) | ||||
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Some people say that addressing the national debt should be among the President and Congress' top 3 priorities. Do you agree or disagree? ◊ Do you feel that way strongly or just somewhat? |
Jan 2014 | Dec 2013 | Nov 2013 | |
Strongly agree | 59% | 62% | 58% | |
Somewhat agree | 22% | 20% | 21% | |
Somewhat disagree | 8% | 8% | 8% | |
Strongly disagree | 7% | 7% | 9% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 4% | 3% | 4% | |
AGREE (NET) | 81% | 83% | 80% | |
DISAGREE (NET) | 15% | 15% | 17% | |
And when it comes to our national debt, do you think it is an issue that the President and Congress should spend more time addressing or less time addressing? ◊ Would you say a lot (more or less) time or just a little? |
Jan 2014 | Dec 2013 | Nov 2013 | |
A lot more time | 63% | 58% | 63% | |
A little more time | 21% | 21% | 21% | |
A little less time | 5% | 7% | 6% | |
A lot less time | 4% | 5% | 4% | |
(The same amount of time) | 3% | 5% | 3% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 3% | 3% | 4% | |
MORE TIME (NET) | 85% | 80% | 84% | |
LESS TIME (NET) | 9% | 12% | 9% |
EXPECTATIONS (67) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
And thinking about our national debt over the next few years, do you expect the problem to get better or worse? ◊ Is that much (better or worse) or just somewhat (better or worse)? |
Jan 2014 | Dec 2013 | Nov 2013 | |
Much better | 8% | 9% | 9% | |
Somewhat better | 20% | 22% | 19% | |
Somewhat worse | 28% | 22% | 24% | |
Much worse | 38% | 39% | 38% | |
(No change) | 3% | 4% | 4% | |
(Don't know/Refused) | 3% | 5% | 6% | |
BETTER (NET) | 28% | 31% | 28% | |
WORSE (NET) | 66% | 61% | 62% | |
And when it comes to our national debt, are you optimistic or pessimistic that the United States will be able to make progress on our national debt over the next few years? ◊ Would you say you are very (optimistic or pessimistic) or just somewhat? |
Jan 2014 | Dec 2013 | Nov 2013 | |
Very optimistic | 15% | 18% | 16% | |
Somewhat optimistic | 30% | 27% | 33% | |
Somewhat pessimistic | 19% | 17% | 16% | |
Very pessimistic | 32% | 32% | 28% | |
(Neither/Mixed) | 2% | 3% | 3% | |
(Don't Know/Refused) | 3% | 3% | 4% | |
OPTIMISTIC (NET) | 44% | 45% | 49% | |
PESSIMISTIC (NET) | 51% | 48% | 45% |