Washington Post-Pew Research Center Poll

This poll was conducted for The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center by telephone April 21 - 25, 2011, among a random national sample of 1,001 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 3.5 percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) of Princeton, NJ.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. Which of these statements do you think best describes the federal budget deficit: (it is a major problem that the country must address now), (it is a major problem that should be addressed when the economy is better), or (it is not much of a problem for the country)? 

         Major problem    Major problem, address     Not much       No
         to address now   when economy is better   of a problem   opinion
4/25/11       81                   14                    1           4
12/5/10*      70                   23                    1           5
*Pew Research Center

2. Looking ahead five years or so, do you think we will have made significant progress in reducing the federal budget deficit, or not?

           Yes   No   No opinion
4/25/11    31    55       14
12/5/10*   37    52       11
2/89*      40    46       14  
*Pew Research Center

***END***

© The Washington Post Company