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Gallup: Record high fear 'big government' [72%]
The Hill ^ | December 18, 2013 | Julian Hattem

Posted on 12/18/2013 1:06:08 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

A record number of Americans think that “big government” is the biggest threat to the country, according to a new poll.

The Gallup survey released on Wednesday showed that 72 percent of people say that “big government” is a bigger threat to the country than “big labor” or “big business.”

That’s the highest percentage of Americans who have expressed the preference since the pollster began asking the question in 1965.

According to the poll, just 21 percent of Americans cite “big business” as the greatest threat to the country, and only 5 percent have concerns about “big labor.”

The recent wariness about the government could be partly due to troubles with the recent rollout of ObamaCare, as well as revelations about surveillance from the National Security Agency (NSA), Gallup noted.

Though Republicans have driven the recent trend and are more concerned about government overreach, they are not alone. The survey found that 56 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of independents also fear “big government.”

The new findings chart a steady increase in concern about the government over recent years, since a low point in 2001 that could be partly attributable to sentiments following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The size of the federal government has certainly grown in recent years.

Though there are only imperfect metrics of measuring the pace of regulatory activity at the federal government, most accounts show that federal power is increasing every year.

Fears about "big government" have always topped the poll since Gallup began asking the question nearly 50 years ago.

The previous high mark for Americans’ concerns about the federal government was in 1999 and 2000, when 65 percent of the public said they feared it more than labor or business.

The Gallup poll was conducted from Dec. 5 to 8 and was based on interviews with more than 1,000 people across the country.


TOPICS: Government; Health/Medicine; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: democrats; liberalism; progressives; socialsim
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To: Cincinatus' Wife


21 posted on 12/18/2013 2:08:26 PM PST by newfreep (Breitbart sent me...)
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To: F15Eagle

Fine with me. And bring on some term limits too.


22 posted on 12/18/2013 2:12:30 PM PST by Proud2BeRight
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To: No One Special

Government is the only entity that can legally use deadly force to impose its will on people.

Business cannot, without the assistance of government.

Labor unions DO, but cannot legally do so, but are often use violence to get their way because government allows it.


23 posted on 12/18/2013 2:15:48 PM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: MrB

I saw some guy on the intenet say that “big money makes you fail”. Could never figure out if he actually believed it or was just trolling. I think Marx would agree with that statement.


24 posted on 12/18/2013 2:19:52 PM PST by No One Special
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.


25 posted on 12/18/2013 2:44:03 PM PST by Starboard
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

(sigh).....well, then, QUIT ASKING IT TO DO STUFF FOR YOU!!!!!


26 posted on 12/18/2013 2:44:09 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Not only were they against shutting down the government, they accepted the blame.

If 72% believe government is too big and less than 50% support republicans, it shows me republicans are see as being for big government. And they are.


27 posted on 12/18/2013 2:44:59 PM PST by VerySadAmerican (".....Barrack, and the horse Mohammed rode in on.")
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To: No One Special

The people should be telling the government what to do; instead, the government is telling the people what to do. We need to turn this despotic situation around and fast.


28 posted on 12/18/2013 2:47:30 PM PST by Starboard
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To: VerySadAmerican

Republicans love big government as much as Democrats. The only difference is that Dems are more open about it.


29 posted on 12/18/2013 2:49:24 PM PST by Starboard
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

bttt


30 posted on 12/18/2013 3:05:52 PM PST by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: Starboard

It’s going to be painful and it won’t happen overnight but I think we will get there. The founders foresaw this day and they had confidence that we would overcome. Look at the Tea Party. They exist only because of the founders ideas. All we really need is a megaphone.

At least that’s what I think :-)


31 posted on 12/18/2013 3:08:48 PM PST by No One Special
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

From what I see in every day Americans, there is a record high number of them arming up. Come hell or high water they want to be ready.


32 posted on 12/18/2013 3:11:51 PM PST by jy8z (When push comes disguised as nudge, I do not budge.)
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To: Starboard

Right. When did government become the master instead of the servant?


33 posted on 12/18/2013 3:25:41 PM PST by ez (Muslims do not play well with others.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Impeachment File for the 2014 Impeachment of “B. Hussein Obama,” aka Barry Soetoro, a documented legal citizen of the Sovereign Nation of Indonesia.
________

Documentation File for the 2014 Impeachment of John Boehner for Dereliction of Congressional Duty by Speaker Boehner for failure to appoint a Special Investigator for repeated violations of the US Constitution by “B. Hussein Obama.”


34 posted on 12/18/2013 5:47:59 PM PST by Graewoulf (Democrats' Obamacare Socialist Health Insur. Tax violates U.S. Constitution AND Anti-Trust Law.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
"The previous high mark for Americans’ concerns about the federal government was in 1999 and 2000, when 65 percent of the public said they feared it more than labor or business."

Yet just eight years later, Americans elected the strongest proponent of big government in our nation's history. Remember when McCain accidentally called Obama, "Senator Government" during the 2008 debates?

What the hell is wrong with people?

35 posted on 12/18/2013 6:00:29 PM PST by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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