Poll: Majority worried about national debt

Voters are troubled about the national debt, according to a monthly survey by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which advocates for deficit and debt reduction.

June’s version of the “fiscal confidence index,” obtained by The Hill ahead of its Tuesday release, reports that 53 percent of voters think the country is on the wrong track in terms of the national debt, while just 31 percent believe it is on the right path.

Seventy-two percent said that addressing the debt should be among the government’s top three priorities, and 76 percent said that the president and Congress should spend more time on the issue. 

But voters also expressed little confidence that progress was forthcoming, with just 36 percent saying the problem would get better in the next few years. 

{mosads}

“As policymakers continue to consider legislation in key reform areas, Americans are asking our leaders to focus on our fiscal future,” said Michael A. Peterson, president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation. 

“Voters understand that the national debt is the one issue that affects all the others, and want Congress to achieve durable policy solutions for the fiscal health of our nation,” he added.

The group combines the survey results into a standardized index on a scale from 0-200, with 100 being neutral, 0 being a negative outlook and 200 being a positive outlook.

In June, the index improved slightly, up to 56 from 54 in May.  

The nationwide poll included 1,002 U.S. registered voters, surveyed by telephone between June 19 and June 22. The survey has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.