Americans are almost evenly divided on whether the federal government should bail out the auto industry, according to a Gallup poll conducted Nov. 13-16.
Forty-nine percent oppose a bailout with 47 percent favoring one and 4 percent was undecided. The margin of error is 3 percent. Democrats favor such a measure 60 percent to 36 percent while Republicans oppose it 53 percent to 41 percent and independents are against it 65 percent to 35 percent. Among those who oppose a bailout, 79 percent say they would hold that position even if it meant the failure of one or more of the Big Three automakers to survive.
Public opinion has shifted slightly on the overall $700 billion measure to address the crisis among financial institutions. In early October, Americans considerd such action a good thing by 50 percent to 41 percent, a margin that has now fallen to 47 percent to 45 percent.
Separately, a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Nov. 15-16 said only 26 percent of those surveyed were very or somewhat confident that U.S. policymakers know what they're doing in dealing with the nation's current economic problems. By a bigger margin than the Gallup poll, Rasmussen said that Americans think the $700 billion rescue package has been bad for the country by 48 percent to 25 percent with 26 percent not sure.
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