Washington Post-Pew Research Center Poll

This poll was conducted for The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center by telephone July 7 to 10, 2011, among a random national sample of 1,007 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) of Princeton, NJ.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. How well do you feel you understand what would happen if the government DOES NOT raise the federal debt limit? Very well, fairly well, not too well or not at all well?

                   ------- Well ------   -------- Not well --------
          NET   Very   Fairly   NET   Not too   Not at all   No opinion
7/10/11   55     18      37     41       27         14           4  
5/22/11   50     18      32     48       26         21           3

2. How concerned, if at all, are you that [INSERT]? Very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too concerned or not at all concerned?

a. Raising the debt limit would lead to higher government spending and make the national debt bigger 

          --- Concerned ---   ----- Not concerned ------     No   
          NET   Very   Smwt   NET   Not too   Not at all   opinion
7/10/11   78     51     27    20       12          7          2
5/22/11   77     47     30    20       10         10          2

b. Not raising the debt limit would force the government into default and hurt the nation’s economy  

          --- Concerned ---   ----- Not concerned ------     No   
          NET   Very   Smwt   NET   Not too   Not at all   opinion
7/10/11   74     44     31    23       13         10          2
5/22/11   73     37     36    23       13         10          4

3. All things considered, which of these is your greater concern (that raising the debt limit would lead to higher government spending and make the national debt bigger) or (that not raising the debt limit would force the government into default and hurt the nation’s economy)?

          Raising debt limit   Not raising debt limit     No
          a greater concern      a greater concern      opinion
7/10/11           47                     42               11
5/22/11           48                     35               17

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