Lessons from the last government shutdown
The 1995-1996 government shutdowns didn’t help the GOP’s image, but the party had lost support among the public well before they happened.
Chart of the Week: The bipartisan federal debt limit
Raising the federal debt limit has given both Republicans and Democrats, in Congress and the White House, fits for decades.
Majority of Americans say banks, large corporations benefitted most from U.S. economic policies
Nearly seven-in-ten Americans say large banks and financial institutions have benefited the most from post-recession government policies.
Republicans Sour on Ben Bernanke
Survey Report As Ben Bernanke prepares to step down as chairman of the Federal Reserve in January, the public views him somewhat more favorably (38%) than unfavorably (31%), with 32% unable to offer a rating. Bernanke is better known now than he was in March 2008, when 55% could not rate him; at that time, […]
Five years after country’s fiscal crisis, wide partisan gap exists over financial regulation
The share of Republicans who say government regulation of financial institutions has gone too far is 38 percentage points higher than Democrats.
Five Years after Market Crash, U.S. Economy Seen as ‘No More Secure’
Overview Five years after the U.S. economy faced its most serious crisis since the Great Depression, a majority of Americans (63%) say the nation’s economic system is no more secure today than it was before the 2008 market crash. Just a third (33%) think the system is more secure now than it was then. Large […]
Sharp divisions in GOP base on raising the minimum wage
Proposals to raise the minimum wage face stiff opposition in Congress from Republicans, particularly in the House. But within the GOP base, there are sharp educational and income differences over the issue.
Public social expenditures falling in most countries but still above pre-crisis levels
New economic figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed an increase in public spending among developed countries during the global financial crisis, but a survey of European nations indicated publics were now looking to ratchet it down.
Around the world, governments promote home ownership
High on Congress’ long to-do list is deciding what to do about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two giant government-run companies that dominate the nation’s mortgage market (together they accounted for 78% of all mortgage-backed securities issued in the first quarter of this year). Which is another way of saying, Congress has to decide […]
Can a president control gas prices? Depends on when you ask
Can a president control gas prices? The answer depends on whether you ask a Republican or a Democrat -- and which party occupies the White House.
