Americans Divided Along Ideological Lines on Wall Street Protest
A Rasmussen poll has found that 50 percent of Democrats have a favorable opinion of the Wall Street protesters while 43 percent of Republicans register an unfavorable view. The poll found that 45 percent of unaffiliated voters said they had no opinion on the protest.
The poll results, which were released Wednesday, Oct. 5, showed a divide along ideological lines. Overall, 33 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the protesters, with 27 percent holding an unfavorable view. It found that 40 percent offered no opinion.
The survey also culled opinions on the issue of government regulations and found that 79 percent of Americans agree with the statement that the "the big banks got bailed but the middle class got left behind." The study found that just 10 percent disagreed with that statement and 11 percent of those polled were not sure.
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The poll found that a majority of Americans held the overwhelming opinion that government and business work against their interest.
According to Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, "For many, the bailouts confirmed their worst fears about this unhealthy alliance."
In contrast to the Wall Street protesters who would like to see stronger regulations exerted on the big banks, the poll found that just 20 percent of Americans believe in the demand for more government regulations. In fact, 60 percent believe in the principle of the free market as a determinant in improving the lives of the middle class.
Many are shown to be also suspicious of regulators who make rulings that are favorable to certain companies, only to benefit, in the future, from a relationship with said company.
In terms of the ongoing protests at Wall Street, which has garnered a great deal of media attention, Rasmussen found that just 20 percent of those surveyed have followed the story closely, with 35 percent saying they have been watching somewhat closely.
The national survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on October 3-4, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports.
