American citizens have been skeptical of big government since George Washington’s time more than two centuries ago. The Big Q for President Barack Obama is whether that flinty view is softening given the USA’s deep problems. The US Voters who elected Mr. Obama, and now give him a 60 % approval rating are nervous and a climate of fear has spread over the land. More than 4MM people have lost their jobs, and retirement investments have been hammered. Millions of US citizens have no health insurance. Industry icons from carmakers to department stores are in danger of collapse. So, given the desperation of the times, are American citizens now willing to accept big government to the rescue? In some cases, yes, but the inherent skepticism lives on, experts say.”The public disposition has always been to be skeptical about big government,” said pollster Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center. “But given the magnitude of the problems we face, my guess is they’re willing to try a bigger role for government than they would if we were living in normal times,” he said.
Popularity: 5% [?]
