Poll: GOP trusted more than Dems on budget

According to the new poll, 64 percent of Americans are afraid that the GOP will protect the wealthy and wants to cut too deeply into Medicare, Social Security and other parts of the social safety net.

But 7 in 10 also are concerned that the Democrats won’t push hard enough for a comprehensive solution to the deficit problem, and a strong majority also worries that the party will cite the deficit as justification for raising taxes.

All in all, the poll found that 48 percent believe spending cuts should do all or most of the job of reducing deficits, while 37 percent want to see an equal mix of tax increases and spending reductions. Just about 1 in 10 favor using mostly tax increases. 

Several recent polls appear to have found more support for using a boost in tax revenue to help battle the deficit. Both Washington Post-ABC News and New York Times-CBS News polls, for instance, have reported that allowing taxes to rise on the wealthiest Americans to be among the more popular ideas for tackling budget gaps. 

The USA Today-Gallup survey gave Republicans a 12-point advantage over Democrats when it came to the budget, and a 5-point lead when it came to the general economy.