Issues@Hand

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April 2014 – According to a recent Gallup poll, 66% of Americans are “unhappy with the size and power of the federal government.” That number has been roughly the same for the last three years after jumping 10 percentage points between 2008 and 2011.

Gallup found an almost identical percentage (65%) of Americans were either “somewhat” or “very dissatisfied” with the U.S. system of government and “how well it works.”

“The trend line on this measure shows remarkable change over time,” said Gallup, “rising from fewer than one in four Americans expressing dissatisfaction in 2002, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, to the current situation in which almost two-thirds are dissatisfied.”

That dissatisfaction seems somewhat rooted in partisan politics, according to Gallup. While roughly 50% of Democrats have been satisfied with government since 2004, Republican satisfaction began to decline in 2005 – when it stood at 79% – and has dropped sharply since President Barack Obama took office in 2008. GOP satisfaction with government stands at 28% in the 2014 poll.

However, Independents have also turned sour. While satisfaction with government for this group stood at 63% in 2004, it has also plummeted to 28% in this year’s Gallup poll.

“Outside of the president’s party, unhappiness with federal government size and effectiveness has only grown during his time in office,” said Gallup.

gallup.com, 1/22/14; breitbart.com, 1/23/14