Poll: 58% of Americans Want Smaller Government, Fewer Services

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Is this what you two do? Spend time knocking down each others strawmen? Sounds like fun. Can I play?

sure

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You tell me. Does it mean any of that?

Of course it doesn't. My point is that most people aren't in favor of bigger government, but the problem is giving any substance to what that actually means without giving specifics.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Galt's gallstones

[mawilson 2,133]

And while i think he's cooky, Dennis Kucinich is an honest liberal too.. He at least had the guts to do what the rest of the dims secretly wanted.. impeach Bush.

More importantly, Kucinich voted against the bailouts.

[Peikko 1,575]

Everyone wants minimal bureaucracy and the best value for their tax dollars, I applaud that idea.

I don't like bailouts

[The_Dude 1,142]

I'm always very skeptical of these types of polls. You are asking a complex question and only offering simplistic responses. Who really wants bigger government? Nobody wants to pay higher taxes. I generally consider myself liberal, although I am a Libertarian. I want smaller government, but I think where to scale back the government is where we disagree.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm always very skeptical of these types of polls. You are asking a complex question and only offering simplistic responses. Who really wants bigger government? Nobody wants to pay higher taxes. I generally consider myself liberal, although I am a Libertarian. I want smaller government, but I think where to scale back the government is where we disagree.

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

iders on cutting gov't that we will save money and nobody will miss anyting

1 fair tax!!!!! no irs ever!!! huge savings!!!

2 no department of education. just another way to give money away and bow dwon to the alter of the gov't

that is super start!!!! and make budgets 0 based!!! not you auto get what u got last year and cuts are reduction in your proposed growth!!!

so if you say we will use a budge form 07 that would realy be a cut!!!

real answers for smaller gov't and shrinking gov't with out affecting real agencies that are needed

[Peikko 1,575]

No Department of Education? As in some kind of Federal oversight on educational standards US wide?

I am sure there are problems created because of the Federal system that are not present in other governmental systems and having layers upon layers of oversight is definitely a huge bureaucratic problem.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Liberalism, Socialism, Communism are failures proven by history. Conservatism aside from any party is a success proven by history.

If you wrote a paper with that premise it would be a massive fail.

[Peikko 1,575]

If you wrote a paper with that premise it would be a massive fail.

I don't think Joe actually understands the concepts behind the words he uses. Of course, there will be another whiny "you can't argue against me so you have to resort to insulting me' post from Joe but that doesn't alter reality.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I really wish people wouldn't make these grand sweeping statements about political theory just to prove that ""their side" (what they imagine it to be) is better than everything else. Its not only simplistic and very naive but it is also totally corrupt.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Sure. But I read this as saying that if those were the only two choices (small/less vs large/more), a majority of Americans would rather have a smaller government, even if it means less services.

Generally speaking, if you ask someone if they prefer less bureaucracy rather than more they will probably say yes.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Generally speaking, if you ask someone if they prefer less bureaucracy rather than more they will probably say yes.

Thats totally something a lib would say.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Is this what you two do? Spend time knocking down each others strawmen? Sounds like fun. Can I play?

You can be pivotman.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Libs always think there is some "other meaning" to the answers to these polls. "its far too complicated to ask" .. "its far too complicated for the average person to understand. You need well educated liberals to analyze these polls to get the real answer". It is what it is. People want less government. And actually Obama campaigned for that out of one side of his a$$. Now people realize they were duped and he'll be gone in 2012.

MC - you ARE immature, so there's no reason to respond. Whenever you disagree with someone, they're just "too stupid" or "uneducated" or they "don't understand". Same old tactic and same old story. It makes you feel good, but its still a failure.

Pike - I'm sure I would fail since "education" institutions are a liberal stronghold and their only goal is liberal indoctrination. Doesn't change the fact that the principles of conservatism are always successful. Libs who call themselves conservatives are the failures - dem or rep