Welcome to NAVIGATOR – a project designed to better understand the American public’s views on issues of the day and help advocates, elected officials, and other interested parties understand the language, imagery, and messaging needed to make and win key policy arguments.
This release features findings from a national online survey of 1,005 registered voters conducted January 27-February 1, 2021. Additional interviews were conducted among 100 Hispanic voters, 100 African American voters, and 100 independents without a partisan lean.
Key takeaways
- More than seven in ten support Biden’s “American Rescue Plan,” and each provision of it earns support from at least three in five Americans.
- Support for a new round of stimulus checks is universally high across demographic groups – including Republicans.
- The public is concerned about providing too little relief, and highlighting Republican hypocrisy on government spending is an effective rebuttal to criticisms of Biden’s bill’s cost.
Vast Majority Rate Economy Negatively
Three in four Americans say the economy is “not so good” or “poor” and half say it is still “getting worse.”
People More Worried Government Will Spend Too Little, Not Too Much
Three in five are more concerned the federal government “will not do enough to get help to regular people” and agree “the government needs to do more to help regular people.”
More Than Seven in Ten Support the “American Rescue Plan”
Support for the “American Rescue Plan” earns majority support across partisan lines.
Strong Support for Proposals from Biden’s Relief Plan
A new round of stimulus checks enjoys the most intense support of the economic proposals in Biden’s plan.
Broad, Bipartisan Support for Most Proposals
Majorities across demographic groups and parties, including traditionally conservative groups such as Fox News Republicans and white non-college, support most of the proposals in the American Rescue Plan.
Universal Support for More Stimulus Checks
Support for more stimulus checks is high among Democrats and independents, but Republicans are split by income: 68% of those earning less than $50,000 support, while just 45% of those who make more than $100,000 support.
Price Tag Has No Impact on Relief Package Support
Using a split-sample test, half of respondents were asked whether they favor a $2 trillion relief package or a smaller package that reduces the deficit, while the other half were asked whether they support a $4 trillion relief package or smaller package that reduces the deficit. Both relief packages were highly favored and the cost of the package had almost no impact on the results.
Strong Support for Aid to State and Local Governments
Three in four Americans support the federal government giving state and local governments more aid.
- Almost four in five independents support sending more relief to state and local governments, including one in three who “strongly support.”
Highlighting Hypocrisy is the Strongest Rebuttal to Republican Concerns About the National Deficit
Messaging focused on growth of the national deficit under Trump and Republican hypocrisy is most effective.
