7. Compared to five years ago, is the federal budget deficit larger or smaller now, or is it about the same?
| | Larger | Smaller | About
the same | No
opinion |
| General Public | 70 | 12 | 17 | 1 |
8. Thinking about the job market across the country today, do you think the number of full-time jobs in the United States has increased during the past five years, decreased, or stayed about the same?
| | Increased | Decreased | Stayed
the same | No
opinion |
| General Public | 29 | 46 | 24 | 1 |
9. Do you think most of the new jobs being created in the country today pay well, or are they mostly low-paying jobs?
| | Pay well | Low-paying | Neither
(vol.) | No
opinion |
| General Public | 16 | 79 | 4 | 1 |
| Economists | 39 | 32 | 22 | 7 |
10. Do you think the gap between the rich and the poor is smaller or larger than it was 20 years ago, or is it about the same?
| | Smaller | Larger | About
the same | No
opinion |
| General Public | 6 | 73 | 20 | 1 |
| Economists | 2 | 86 | 11 | 1 |
11. During the past 20 years, do you think that, in general, family incomes for average Americans have been going up faster than the cost of living, staying about even with the cost of living, or falling behind the cost of living?
| | Going up | Staying
even | Falling
behind | No
opinion |
| General Public | 11 | 19 | 70 | 1 |
| Economists | 35 | 42 | 22 | 1 |
12. Thinking just about wages of the average American worker, do you think that during the past 20 years they have been going up faster than the cost of living, staying about even with the cost of living, or falling behind the cost of living?
| | Going up | Staying even | Falling behind | No
opinion |
| General Public | 7 | 21 | 71 | 1 |
| Economists | 18 | 38 | 42 | 1 |
13. Some people say that in order to make a comfortable living, the average family must have two full-time wage earners. Do you agree with this, or do you think the average family can make a comfortable living with only one full-time wage earner?
| | Need two
wage earners | Can make living
w/one wage earner | No
opinion |
| General Public | 87 | 13 | 1 |
| Economists | 67 | 23 | 10 |
14. Over the next five years, do you think the average American's standard of living will rise, or fall, or stay about the same?
| | Rise | Fall | Stay the same | No
opinion |
| General Public | 24 | 29 | 46 | 2 |
| Economists | 50 | 8 | 41 | 1 |
15. During the past five years, do you think that your family's income has been going up faster than the cost of living, staying about even with the cost of living, or falling behind the cost of living?
| | Going up | Staying even | Falling behind | No
opinion |
| General Public | 14 | 41 | 44 | 1 |
| Economists | 67 | 24 | 8 | * |
16. (If said standard of living was staying even or falling behind) Which two of the following are the main reasons why your family's income has not been going up faster than the cost of living? (General Public)
| Lack job opportunity | 37 |
| Lack right skills | 21 |
| Not enough education | 22 |
| Don't work hard enough | 2 |
| Discriminated against | 9 |
| Bad luck | 17 |
| None | 32 |
| No opinion | 3 |
17. Over the next five years, do you expect your family's income to grow faster or slower than the cost of living, or do you think it will grow at about the same pace?
| | Faster | Slower | About the same | No
opinion |
| General Public | 20 | 27 | 52 | 1 |
| Economists | 43 | 10 | 46 | 1 |
18. Do you expect your children's generation to enjoy a higher or lower standard of living than your generation, or do you think it will be about the same?
| | Higher | Lower | About the same | No
opinion |
| General Public | 38 | 27 | 35 | 1 |
| Economists | 48 | 20 | 31 | 1 |
