More Voters See Their Taxes Increasing Under Obama

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of likely voters now expect their personal taxes to rise under the Obama administration, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

That's up three points over the past two weeks,up eight points since the inauguration, and the highest level of concern measured to date.

Still, 40% don’t expect their taxes to change under the new administration. Only 10% now say they expect their personal taxes to decrease under Obama.

During last fall's campaign, then-candidate Obama pledged to cut taxes for 95% of Americans. Just 26% of voters believe he has kept that promise.

Most Republican voters (59%) expect taxes to go up under the new administration, while most Democrats (61%) say they expect their taxes to remain about the same. Just under half (49%) of voters not affiliated with either party see their taxes going up in the near future.

Most voters (55%) continue to believe that tax increases hurt the economy, while 24% say they help.

Fifty-three percent (53%) say tax cuts help the economy, while 22% say they hurt the economy. (see crosstabs)

On government spending, 73% expect it to rise under Obama, up six points over the past two weeks. That’s just one point from the highest level yet recorded.

Fifty-two percent (52%) of voters say increasing government spending hurts the economy, a figure that has shown little change over the past two weeks. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say increases in government spending helps the economy.

The plurality of voters (47%) says decreasing government spending helps the economy. More than one in four (28%) hold the opposite view and believesays that spending cuts hurt the economy.

While most voters still blame the Bush Administration for the nation’s economic problems, recent polling finds that 39% now say the country’s economic problems are caused more by the policies Obama has put in place. That’s a 12-point jump from a month ago.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... nder_obama