It’s Not the Deficit
I keep hearing about the deficit from pundits and members of Congress and definitely from conservative think tanks. To hear them, you’d think the deficit was universally acknowledged to be the biggest problem we’re facing. But it isn’t:
It’s not that the American people aren’t concerned about the deficit. But in poll after poll, they make clear that their No. 1 concern is jobs. Forty-seven percent of respondents to a Fox News poll this month, for instance, said they were concerned with the economy and jobs, while just 15 percent acknowledged concern over the deficit and spending. Eighty-one percent of respondents to a Pew Research Center poll from this month thought it “very important” for Congress to address the jobs situation — more than for any other topic. “There is no significant difference across party lines,” Pew reported.
And this isn’t some kind of short-sighted, selfish thinking from people who don’t know any better. Economists like Dean Baker, Joseph Stiglitz, Robert Reich, Mark Zandi, Paul Krugman, Lawrence Mishel, David M. Walker and more agree. Focusing on jobs now will restore the economy and rebuild the revenue base needed to…reduce the deficit.
Politicians who harp on the deficit are either being disingenuous or they need to read up on their economics a little. And the ones who are doing it because they think it’s the route to popularity with voters? They need to read some opinion polling.
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