A solid 49% of respondents to Gallup’s recent Governance survey said government regulates business too much with red tape.
While a healthy business climate is considered by many to be the driving force behind economic success within the county, nearly half of Americans think government regulation is just too much.
A solid 49% of respondents to Gallup’s recent Governance survey said government regulates business too much. Only 21% indicated the level of regulation was too little. Another 27% think the current climate is just about right.
White House Control Matters
American attitudes toward business regulation tend to ebb and flow based on which party has control of the White House, Gallup noted.
While the rate of Americans who thought there was too much regulation during George Bush’s administration ran an average of 36%, the Barack Obama years have seen a dramatic rise in the response. During Obama’s first year in the White House, the “too much” response shot up seven points to reach 45%. It has fluctuated between 45% and 50% ever since.
Republicans Skewing the Curve?
The rise in respondents saying government control is too much is partially attributable to what Gallup calls an “exponential-like increase” in Republicans responding in this manner.
The party-line numbers climbed from just 40% in 2006 to reach a peak of 84% in 2011. During the 2015 survey, about eight out of 10 Republicans said regulation was “too much;” heartily beating out the 46% of Independents and 26% of Democrats who said the same.
Fewer Saying Regulation is Too Low
While the percentage of Americans saying regulation is too high remains at a near-majority, the number of those who say it’s too little is falling. Gallup noted the percentage of Americans who felt regulation was too lax has plummeted by six points since 2010.
A shift into the “about right” category, however, has also been noted. Responses in that category have climbed by about six points since 2010.
The bottom line, Gallup says, is that nearly half of Americans feel government regulates business too much. The findings could play a role in the upcoming presidential race where proposals to ease regulation are likely to receive a warm reception, researchers noted.
Gallup’s Governance survey was conducted between Sept. 9-13. To arrive at their findings, pollsters conducted telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,025 adults, aged 18 and up, within the United States.
The poll has been conducted with regularity each September since 2002. Previous versions date back to 1993.
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