- Are you currently registered to vote at this address?
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- Looking ahead to the next five years or so, do you feel more hopeful and confident or more worried and concerned about what the future holds for the country?
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- How would you rate the current state of your own personal financial situation? Would you say it is excellent, good, only fair, or poor?
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- The country faces a number of challenges right now. What is the most important issue for President Obama to concentrate his efforts on now?
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- And what is the second most important issue for President Obama to concentrate his efforts on now?
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- I'm going to mention some things that have been in the news lately. For each, please tell me whether you think it is a very big threat to our country and our future, a fairly big threat, just somewhat of a threat, or not really a threat to our country and our future.
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- Our growing budget deficit and national debt..................................
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- A country that is not friendly to the United States developing nuclear weapon capabilities............................................................
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- Manufacturing jobs continuing to move overseas...........................
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- American schools not providing students the skills and knowledge they need to be competitive in today's global economy..................
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- Global climate change....................................................................
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- Thinking about our COUNTRY AND ITS FUTURE, when you think about our federal budget problems, including our growing federal budget deficit and our increasing national debt, how big of a concern is this--is it a very serious concern, a fairly serious concern, somewhat of a concern, just a minor concern, or not at all a concern to you?
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- Thinking now about YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY, when you think about our federal budget problems, including our growing federal budget deficit and our increasing national debt, how big of a concern is this for you personally, in terms of how it impacts you and your family's future--is it a very serious concern, a fairly serious concern, somewhat of a concern, just a minor concern, or not at all a concern to you?
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- Thinking about our federal budget problems, including our growing federal budget deficit and our increasing national debt, do you think our leaders in Washington are paying too much attention to these issues, not paying enough attention to these issues, or are they paying about the right amount of attention to these issues?
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- If we want to get our country's financial situation in order, which one or two of the following areas should we focus on––spending less on programs such as education, defense, and law enforcement, increasing taxes, or making major reforms to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security, which likely will mean cutbacks in promised benefits to future retirees?
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- Now I'm going to read a number of facts about our country's financial situation. For each one, tell me how big of a concern it is to you--is it a very serious concern, a fairly serious concern, somewhat of a concern, just a minor concern, or not at all a concern to you?
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- The federal government now has more debts and unfinanced obligations than the combined total net worth of all Americans....................................
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- Well over half of senior citizens rely on Social Security as their primary source of income during retirement. If we do not enact changes to the program, the Social Security trust fund will begin giving out more money than it takes in within the next ten years......................................................
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- Currently more than forty-four million Americans rely on the Medicare program for their health care. If we do not reform the program, the Medicare trust fund will no longer be able to provide full promised benefits..............................
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- Foreign countries own half of America's national debt. Countries such as China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia own the largest portions of our national debt........................................................
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- America has over fifty-six trillion dollars in unfunded government commitments for Social Security and Medicare and other promised obligations. This equals almost a half a million dollars for every household or one hundred eighty-four thousand dollars for every American..
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- Currently, every American household has the equivalent of an additional mortgage of almost a half a million dollars due to the federal government's total debt and future unfinanced obligations for Social Security and Medicare.......
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- The federal government now owes more in debts and commitments than the combined total net worth of all Americans. If we do not get our federal finances in order, we could face eventual economic collapse................................................
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- Our children and future generations will bear this burden of debt and much higher taxes and will have a lower standard of living because of it. Currently, every American household has the equivalent of an additional mortgage of almost a half a million dollars due to the federal government's total debt and future unfunded obligations for Social Security and Medicare........
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- Currently about twenty percent of Americans' income tax dollars go toward simply paying the interest on our national debt. Continuing to let the debt increase will mean that our taxes cannot be used to fund other important priorities, such as national defense and education.......................
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- Allowing foreign countries such as China, Japan, and Saudi Arabia to own so much of our national debt threatens our economy, international standing, and national security.............................
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- Soon we will spend most of our money paying for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and interest on our debts, and there will be little money left for other important priorities such as education, job training, and research to develop new energy sources and health care breakthroughs................
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- I'm going to read you three statements about our growing federal budget deficit and national debt and I'd like to know which one comes closer to your point of view.
Statement A: We must act now to address the deficit and national debt. Our economy will not be truly stable until we begin to solve these looming problems that threaten the long-term health and security of the American economy.
Statement B: While the rapidly growing deficit and national debt are important, given the current recession and other economic challenges, this is not the time to require additional sacrifices, such as increasing taxes or cutting spending on important programs. Instead, we should address these issues after the economy turns around.
Statement C: We do not need to take any major steps to address the deficit and national debt. Not too many years ago we had a budget surplus and just a few years later we had a huge budget deficit. These fluctuations seem to move up and down without having much real impact.
Which statement comes closer to your point of view?
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- I'd like to read you two statements and get your reaction.
Statement A: Some people say that we can adequately address our growing national debt and solve our budget problems by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending and cutting spending on the war in Iraq without also making major changes to government programs or our tax policies.
Statement B: Other people say that in order to adequately address our budget problems and growing national debt we have to make major structural changes to large entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in combination with major changes to our federal tax system and other government spending, and that just cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending and cutting spending on the war in Iraq is not enough.
Which statement comes closer to your point of view––that we can largely address our nation's budget problems by cutting waste, fraud and abuse and cutting spending on the war in Iraq, or that in addition we need to make major changes to entitlement programs and the tax system?
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