Despite unfounded conservative attacks on President Obama’s stimulus measures, the public “remains supportive of specific spending measures to create jobs, improve the economy, and make investments” in key areas of concern, according to TDS Co-Editor Ruy Teixeira. In his ‘Public Opinion Snapshot’ at the Center for American Progress web pages, Teixeira explains:

…in a new Economic Policy Institute-Hart Research poll, the public, by 61-36, said “The focus for improving the economy should be on creating good jobs, and investing in education and energy independence,” rather than…“shrinking government spending in order to reduce the federal budget deficit.”

Teixeira adds that impressive majorities now favor a range of federal spending measures to increase employment and economic recovery, including:

Pass a major new job creation tax credit for businesses that create jobs in the United States in the next two years (87 percent support)
Extend unemployment insurance benefits for those who have lost their jobs during the recession and are unable to find new jobs (81 percent support)
Put unemployed people back to work at government-funded public service jobs that help meet important community needs as Roosevelt did when he created the Civilian Conservation Corps (74 percent support)
Put unemployed people back to work at government-funded public service jobs that help meet important community needs (71 percent support)
Give a new round of tax rebates to lower- and middle-income Americans (63 percent support)
Provide increased federal assistance to state and local governments to prevent additional layoffs of government employees because government layoffs add to unemployment and harm vital services (52 percent support)

Teixeira concludes that “there may be a reservoir of public support” for more federal investment in economic recovery measures, “provided they are clear, specific, and not labeled as part of a new stimulus package.”