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Americans Divided on Taxing the Rich to Redistribute Wealth
Gallup ^ | June 2, 2011 | Lydia Saad

Posted on 06/03/2011 7:42:10 AM PDT by yoe

Americans break into two roughly evenly matched camps on the question of whether the government should enact heavy taxes on the rich to redistribute wealth in the U.S. Forty-seven percent believe the government should redistribute wealth in this way, while 49% disagree, similar to views Gallup found four years ago.

Trend: Views on Redistributing U.S. Wealth by Heavy Taxes on the Rich

Republicans and Democrats have sharply different reactions to the government's taking such an active role in equalizing economic outcomes. Seven in 10 Democrats believe the government should levy taxes on the rich to redistribute wealth, while an equal proportion of Republicans believe it should not. The slight majority of independents oppose this policy.

The question also provokes different reactions from men compared with women, whites vs. nonwhites, and upper-income vs. lower-income Americans. Consistent with their more Democratic political orientation, women, nonwhites, and lower-income adults are all more supportive than their counterparts of government redistribution of wealth via taxes.

(Excerpt) Read more at gallup.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: dollar; fed; inflation; polls; qe; redistribution; socialism; taxes
Far more Democrats/Progressives are on Welfare than other parties. More Dems on food stamps and expect other entitlements - Dems expect the government to pay their way which means those of us who pay federal taxes pay for their reluctance to find a job and work.
1 posted on 06/03/2011 7:42:15 AM PDT by yoe
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To: yoe
We're not so divided once people realize that the "rich" is anyone with an earned income.
2 posted on 06/03/2011 7:46:28 AM PDT by shibumi (Ego Nunquam Ubi Sub Ubi!)
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To: yoe
Americans Divided on Taxing the Rich to Redistribute Wealth

Divided indeed! The half that pays all the taxes doesn't want to give any more away to the free-riders. The half that doesn't pay wants the half that pays to pay more.

One definition of pure democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.

3 posted on 06/03/2011 7:46:43 AM PDT by TruthShallSetYouFree (If you can read this post, the world did not end on May 21st.)
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To: yoe

“Americans Divided on Taxing the Rich to Redistribute Wealth”

It sounds like this is up for debate, or something, when the truth is that no matter what happens with the debt, tax cuts/hikes, entitlement reform, etc., the U.S. will never, ever go back to a time when “the rich” weren’t deliberately taxed in order that wealth be redistributed. No significant group of thought opposes it.


4 posted on 06/03/2011 7:46:49 AM PDT by Tublecane
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To: yoe
It's all in how you ask the question:

"Do you think the government should take more money from you, and give it to people who have behaved irresponsibly?"

Ask it that way and see how divided we are.

5 posted on 06/03/2011 7:47:05 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The USSR spent itself into bankruptcy and collapsed -- and aren't we on the same path now?)
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To: yoe

VIVA LENIN!! VIVA CASTRO!!!! VIVA STALIN!!! (sarcasm)

Maybe Democracy DOESN’T work. Maybe once the number of non-productive social parasites, spawned and supported by government hand-outs, grows to a critical mass, it can undermine the entire system and destroy those who work every day to fund with their taxes those selfsame social parasites.


6 posted on 06/03/2011 7:49:25 AM PDT by ZULU (Lindsey Graham is a nanometrical pustule of pusillanimous putrescence)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

Thanks yoe.
Seven in 10 Democrats believe the government should levy taxes on the rich to redistribute wealth, while an equal proportion of Republicans believe it should not. The slight majority of independents oppose this policy... women, nonwhites, and lower-income adults are all more supportive than their counterparts of government redistribution of wealth via taxes.
That's because they've never heard of Pogo.


7 posted on 06/03/2011 7:58:54 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Thanks Cincinna for this link -- http://www.friendsofitamar.org)
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To: yoe

3 guys on an island...
1 guy climbs a tree and grabs a coconut...
the other 2 guys vote to take it away from him.
Yup, that’s democracy for you.


8 posted on 06/03/2011 8:07:19 AM PDT by Repeal The 17th (Proud to be a (small) monthly donor.)
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To: yoe

To clarify these poll results

47% think they’re going to get something for nothing
and 49% know they’re going to give up something for nothing


9 posted on 06/03/2011 8:09:42 AM PDT by silverleaf (All that is necessary for evil to succeed, is that good men do nothing)
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To: silverleaf

The Great Renauldus Maximus (Reagan) taught us how to best “redistribute” wealth. Let people keep the great portion of what they earn (including the evil rich)... so they can hire other folks to do needed work and get paid (aka: JOBS!). Works every time it’s tried! What’s “wrong” with that??? Well, BIGARSE politician (mostly Libs), don’t get to control our lives... and that is NOT very “progressive”.


10 posted on 06/03/2011 8:20:40 AM PDT by FiddlePig (truth is hard... lies are easy - http://redneckoblogger.blogspot.com)
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To: yoe

EAT THE RICH! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=661pi6K-8WQ


11 posted on 06/03/2011 8:49:43 AM PDT by GVnana
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To: yoe
"Americans Divided on Taxing the Rich to Redistribute Wealth"

Between most of those who derive their incomes in various ways from government, and most of those who don't. They're all around you in various cheerleading groups of your local communities.

A big default is probably our best opportunity. Get control of the beast, when its money will be worth the least and its resources lowest.


12 posted on 06/03/2011 10:47:52 AM PDT by familyop ("Don't worry, they'll row for a month before they figure out I'm fakin' it." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
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To: yoe

The olde system which allowed voting ONLY by white male property owners provided a better answer.

Shifting away from that time tested standard has, predictably, brought about the present situation; the takers desiring the belongings of the makers.

The remedy is for the makers to cease production of goods, payment of wages, etc.

The much maligned Laffer Cure wil come back into discussion.

Years ago, high taxes and fees drove the Yaght builders out of business (or forced them to move), producing less, not more revenue for the states involved.


13 posted on 06/03/2011 11:00:41 AM PDT by truth_seeker
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To: yoe

I suspect if they asked respondents whether they believe the government should be allowed to take the money they earn and give it to whomever they want, the answers would be very different. It’s always easy to give away other people’s money, the “rich,” especially when you’re the recipient.


14 posted on 06/03/2011 1:38:58 PM PDT by americanophile (Paul Ryan 2012)
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To: yoe; SunkenCiv; cripplecreek; MaggieCarta; Miss_Meyet; PGalt; Atom Smasher; LucyT; ml/nj; ...
The results aren't quite as bad as they look, because the poll was conducted among what Gallup calls "American adults," i.e., people living the US 18 years or older. In other words, you didn't even have to be a US citizen to participate, let alone a registered voter. (Gallup frequently deceives readers by referring to foreigners living here included in their polls as "Americans.")

These results concerning Big Brother using taxation to redistribute wealth and the differences by party affiliation are oh so predictable! The poll is pretty much much about a major tenet of socialism. This is a question that pretty much separates the socialist from the anti-socialist about as well as any one question can.

15 posted on 06/03/2011 2:03:29 PM PDT by justiceseeker93
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: justiceseeker93

We keep importing socialists and creating them at school.


17 posted on 06/03/2011 11:44:51 PM PDT by rmlew (No Blood for Sarkozy's re-election and Union for the Mediterranean)
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To: justiceseeker93

The wolves and the sheep want to decide what to have for dinner. The sheep are in favor of grass, a renewable resource. The wolves are in favor of sheep, a tasty one-time feast.


18 posted on 06/04/2011 2:05:18 PM PDT by Eleutheria5 (End the occupation. Annex today.)
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