NWV News - Poll ignored by media reveals most Americans believe U.S. government is corrupt

POLL IGNORED BY MEDIA REVEALS MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS CORRUPT

By NWV News Writer Jim Kouri
Posted 1:00 AM Eastern
December 26, 2013
© 2013 NewsWithViews.com

A new poll released on Thursday, by a well-regarded, nonpartisan public-interest law group and a reliable and a highly regarded digital news organization, reveals that more than three-quarters of the U.S. population are concerned about widespread government corruption and more than half of Americans believe that corruption has gotten worse during the past five-years.

The poll itself was conducted December 13-16, 2013.

The Judicial Watch-Breitbart.com poll revealed that 77% of the American people are concerned about the issue of government corruption in Washington, D.C., with 52% of them believing it has gotten worse over the past five years.

That five-year timeframe coincides with the number of years President Barack Obama has been in office, according to political consultant Paul Waltman.

Regarding one of the most controversial and polarizing federal actions, the Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare, the Judicial Watch-Breitbart poll found that two-thirds of Americans are satisfied with their own current healthcare, including 39% who are “strongly satisfied;” 44% of Americans recognize that their healthcare costs have increased rather than decreased (4%) since Obamacare became law; and a 54% majority disagreed (as opposed to 12% who agreed) that they will pay less if they join the government’s health insurance program.

As far as healthcare in general, Americans by a two-to-one margin said that they have more confidence in their states than they have in the federal government to handle healthcare.

On the equally controversial and polarizing issue of illegal immigration, a plurality of Americans (44% to 38%) believe that the U.S. should enforce immigration laws currently on the books and expect illegal immigrants to return to their homes rather than changing the law to provide legal status for illegal immigrants already here. The majority of those aged 45 to 54 (52%) favor enforcing current laws, as do those making $35,000 to $50,000 a year (51%). A full 71% of Republicans support enforcing immigration laws, with 21% in favor of changing them.

According to the Judicial Watch-Breitbart poll, a 52% majority of Americans think the government is actually doing a worse job at policing corruption in Washington DC in the past five years, while just 18% think the government is doing better. An equal number of Democrats say corruption has worsened (33%) as say it has improved (33%) during their party’s control of the White House.

Meanwhile, according to the poll, 75% of adults recognize voter fraud as a problem in the United States, including 36% who believe it is a “major” problem and 39% who think it is a minor problem. The percentage of adults who consider it a problem remains at above 70% among males and females; whites, blacks, and Hispanics; and all age brackets from 18 to over 65. Only 15% think voter fraud is not a problem.

While campaigning in 2008, Barack Obama promised that as president Americans would have the most transparent government in history. Yet today, a 41%-plurality of Americans now believe the federal government is actually “less transparent” since Obama became president. Four-out-of-five adults (80%) do not recognize any improvement during President Obama’s tenure, compared with just 16% who say it is “more transparent.”

“The Judicial Watch-Breitbart poll shows that the American people are thoroughly disenchanted with a government they see as corrupt and secretive,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

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“The support for the rule of law on immigration runs against the establishment narrative pretending there is overwhelming support for mass amnesty. On a host of issues – ranging from corruption to transparency, to election integrity, to Obamacare – President Obama is completely out of touch with the American people,” said Fitton.

Methodology

This nationwide survey of 1,000 American adults was conducted December 13-16, 2013, at a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) facility using live callers. The survey had a dual-frame sampling design composed of 65% landline interviews and 35% cell phone interviews. The margin of error is calculated at +/- 3.1% at the 95% confidence level, meaning that in 19 out of 20 cases, the results obtained would differ by no more than three point one percentage points in either direction if the entire adult population nationwide were to be surveyed.