Poll: Majority view today's federal government as too powerful

[zimmer]

A majority of Americans said they believe the federal government today wields too much power, a Gallup Daily tracking survey released Monday indicated.

Poll: Majority view today's federal government as too powerful

In other news, 46% of Americans were wondering when they will get an upgrade on their Obama phone and increase in Obama cash. They were not familiar with the term Federal Government.

Responding to a question of where all the money comes from, one person was heard saying... It done growed on trees.

 

[Carjosse]

In other news polls are bull**** and almost always wrong.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

And then they want to cut the government down and at the same time keep all the services they enjoy.. Wait how does that work? Oh yea its like the classic American mentality "I like the services the government provides, but i dont like the taxes". Its the age old conundrum the ignorant voter populace faces.

 

[Goshin]

And then they want to cut the government down and at the same time keep all the services they enjoy.. Wait how does that work? Oh yea its like the classic American mentality "I like the services the government provides, but i dont like the taxes". Its the age old conundrum the ignorant voter populace faces.

Aside from those who don't partake of any government services, except those that fall under the common good and Constitutionally authorized functions, like defense and the criminal justice system, etc.

 

[Deuce]

Aside from those who don't partake of any government services, except those that fall under the common good and Constitutionally authorized functions, like defense and the criminal justice system, etc.

Which programs do you not perceive as falling under the "common good."

 

[TheDemSocialist]

Aside from those who don't partake of any government services, except those that fall under the common good and Constitutionally authorized functions, like defense and the criminal justice system, etc.

Except the vast majority of Americans want good roads, want federal services that they provide, want protection not only from other nations but from environment, safe working conditions, etc.

 

[Deuce]

I should point out that while a lot of people will say the government has too much power (or too little), answers will vary wildly on what they have in mind when they say that.

 

[Goshin]

Except the vast majority of Americans want good roads, want federal services that they provide, want protection not only from other nations but from environment, safe working conditions, etc.

Yes.

Good roads are a reasonable common good. Most roads are State built and maintained, except the Interstate Highway system.

Environmental safety, work safety... yes, these are common goods within reason, but ought to be a State matter, as the Constitution does not authorize Federal involvement.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

Yes.

Good roads are a reasonable common good. Most roads are State built and maintained, except the Interstate Highway system.

Environmental safety, work safety... yes, these are common goods within reason, but ought to be a State matter, as the Constitution does not authorize Federal involvement.

We can have a constitutional argument all day if the federal government can be involved.

 

[Goshin]

We can have a constitutional argument all day if the federal government can be involved.

Not really. It's pretty clear. A1S8, and Am10.

 

[Deuce]

Yes.

Good roads are a reasonable common good. Most roads are State built and maintained, except the Interstate Highway system.

Environmental safety, work safety... yes, these are common goods within reason, but ought to be a State matter, as the Constitution does not authorize Federal involvement.

Pollution doesn't respect state borders. Clearly an interstate issue.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

Not really. It's pretty clear. A1S8, and Am10.

We can argue general welfare clause all day but I really dont think the majority of Americans believe the federal government is "too powerful" based on constitutional grounds.

 

[Goshin]

Pollution doesn't respect state borders. Clearly an interstate issue.

When it has major and proven inter-state impact, perhaps. However, "we DO have an excuse to intervene!" does not always mean "we SHOULD intervene".


We should do what is necessary and be very cautious and hesistant to do more than is necessary, on the Fed level.

 

[Deuce]

Not really. It's pretty clear. A1S8, and Am10.

You can pretend it's clear, but it's not. If the general welfare statement doesn't count, where is the authorization for the USAF?

 

[Goshin]

We can argue general welfare clause all day but I really dont think the majority of Americans believe the federal government is "too powerful" based on constitutional grounds.

I think that is EXACTLY why a majority of americans think the fedgov is too big. And the general welfare clause is the most-abused clause in the Constitution... if it were a rubber band it would have stretched beyond the breaking point long ago.

 

[CanadaJohn]

In other news polls are bull**** and almost always wrong.

How can polls be "wrong"? Don't they just take a snapshot of a limited sampling of public opinion at a particular point in time?

They may be having trouble lately predicting future outcomes, but that's not what this particular poll is about.

 

[TheDemSocialist]

I think that is EXACTLY why a majority of Americans think the fedgov is too big.

I highly doubt that. I believe its because they want to be left alone and have historically looked at the federal government in suspicion. When 38% cant even pass a basic citizens test then we know we are in trouble
How ignorant are Americans? An alarming number of U.S. citizens don't know basic facts about their own country | Mail Online

Or hell they dont even know a lot about our consitution
Survey: Americans don't know Constitution, civics

And the general welfare clause is the most-abused clause in the Constitution... if it were a rubber band it would have stretched beyond the breaking point long ago.

Exactly why were not gonna go anywhere with tihs debate.

 

[Deuce]

How can polls be "wrong"? Don't they just take a snapshot of a limited sampling of public opinion at a particular point in time?

They may be having trouble lately predicting future outcomes, but that's not what this particular poll is about.

The wording of the question easily influences the outcome.

 

[CanadaJohn]

The wording of the question easily influences the outcome.

I don't disagree - that doesn't make the results wrong, just possibly makes them skewed.

 

[Paschendale]

Yes.

Good roads are a reasonable common good. Most roads are State built and maintained, except the Interstate Highway system.

Environmental safety, work safety... yes, these are common goods within reason, but ought to be a State matter, as the Constitution does not authorize Federal involvement.

Which all still need to be paid for, so all you'll have are powerful state governments instead of a powerful federal one. Why is that an improvement that one government oppresses you instead of another one? And all of those state programs will need to be paid for with taxes. So the same people complaining about federal taxes will still be paying those same high taxes, only now to a different tax collector. The overarching problem of "I want benefits but don't want to pay for them" doesn't change simply by transferring the power to a state government. That change wouldn't solve any problems.

 

[AlabamaPaul]

Which all still need to be paid for, so all you'll have are powerful state governments instead of a powerful federal one. Why is that an improvement that one government oppresses you instead of another one? And all of those state programs will need to be paid for with taxes. So the same people complaining about federal taxes will still be paying those same high taxes, only now to a different tax collector. The overarching problem of "I want benefits but don't want to pay for them" doesn't change simply by transferring the power to a state government. That change wouldn't solve any problems.

Why should any individual or group expect that government should provide any benefit other than to protect individual freedoms and property?

 

[Deuce]

I don't disagree - that doesn't make the results wrong, just possibly makes them skewed.

When the goal is to place an accurate number to the opinion, skewed and wrong are the same thing.

 

[CanadaJohn]

When the goal is to place an accurate number to the opinion, skewed and wrong are the same thing.

You missed the point - opinions can't be wrong - that's why they're opinions, not factual statements - they just may not be reflective of what you wanted to find out.

 

[Goshin]

Which all still need to be paid for, so all you'll have are powerful state governments instead of a powerful federal one. Why is that an improvement that one government oppresses you instead of another one? And all of those state programs will need to be paid for with taxes. So the same people complaining about federal taxes will still be paying those same high taxes, only now to a different tax collector. The overarching problem of "I want benefits but don't want to pay for them" doesn't change simply by transferring the power to a state government. That change wouldn't solve any problems.

Oy vey...


We could get into a long discussion about Federal spending, duplicate agencies, agencies with no results, and other forms of waste. We could get into a discussion about how government that is fundamentally smaller and closer to its constituents tends to be more responsive to those constituents than larger orgs like the Fed. We could get into the "fifty autonomous experiments and voting with your feet" theory of States rights.

We could belabor all of that for pages on end... but we've done most of that before and it gets tiresome after a while.

The fundamental question is this: do you want government that is Limited or Unlimited in what it can stick its nose into. If you want Limited government, it has to start somewhere; the Constitution is a good starting place. Having to actually justify your budget from zero based on results per department is another.

Y'all have fun with it, I've got laundry to do.

 

[Paschendale]

The fundamental question is this: do you want government that is Limited or Unlimited in what it can stick its nose into. If you want Limited government, it has to start somewhere; the Constitution is a good starting place. Having to actually justify your budget from zero based on results per department is another.

I want a limited government, which is why the federal government is better. The federal government is one of limited power. State governments have general police power. In their own constitutions, state governments can trample on you in ways that the federal government cannot. All that twisting about whether or not Obamacare is a tax is an argument that wouldn't have to happen in any state government. They can just do it. It doesn't have to fall within a certain power. State governments have no limitations except those places on them. The federal government starts with no power except those given to it. How can you expect to be less imposed upon by a government that starts out with total power over you?