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September 3, 2011

Reason-Rupe Poll: 55 Percent of Americans Say We�ve Given Up Too Much Freedom and Privacy in the Name of Security Since 9/11

Just 19 percent believe leaving troops in Afghanistan makes us safer; 62 percent say the war in Iraq hasn�t been worth it; and 61 percent say U.S. uses its military too often in foreign conflicts

With the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks approaching, 55 percent of Americans say “we have given up too much freedom and privacy in the name of security” since the attacks, according to a new national Reason-Rupe Public Opinion Survey of 1,200 adults. 

Nearly, 79 percent of Americans feel we have less privacy now than we did before 9/11 and 62 percent say we have less personal freedom today. However, 81 percent have faith that the security measures implemented since the attacks make us safer overall.

Only 15 percent of the public is “very confident” that the Department of Homeland Security, created following 9/11, will prevent another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Another 40 percent are somewhat confident and 21 percent are slightly confident that the agency will prevent an attack.

When it comes to airport security, 49 percent of Americans believe the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would catch a terrorist trying to board a plane at a U.S. airport, while 44 percent say the TSA would not. 

New Reason-Rupe Poll: 57 Percent of Americans Say Spending Cuts Will Help the Economy

Nearly 69 percent of taxpayers expect their taxes to go up in the next five years and 62 percent think Congress will spend tax increases on new programs instead of paying down debt

With growing concern about a double-dip recession and a lot discussion about how to stimulate the struggling economy, over 57 percent of Americans say reducing government spending will “mostly help” the economy, according to a new national Reason-Rupe Public Opinion Survey of 1,200 adults. Just 21 percent believe cutting spending will “mostly harm” the economy.

When analyzing the reasons that consumers aren’t spending money, economists should note that the public is bracing for tax increases. Nearly 69 percent of voters expect their taxes to go up in the next five years and only 6 percent expect their taxes to go down. Over 32 percent say they expect their taxes to increase “a lot” in the next five years and more than 36 percent anticipate their taxes will increase “a little.” 

If taxes do go up, Americans don’t trust that the new revenue will be used to reduce the national debt.  When asked what they expect Congress would do with money generated by tax increases, 62 percent of Americans say Congress would spend that money on new programs. Only 27 percent of taxpayers believe Congress would actually use the money to pay down the national debt.

Taxpayers are also worried about Congress’ inability to balance the federal budget. Over 77 percent of Americans say the federal government needs a spending cap that prevents it from spending more than it takes in during a fiscal year.  Ninety-one percent of Republicans, 75 percent of independents and 66 percent of Democrats favor a federal spending cap. Support for a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget is somewhat lower, but still strong, at 69 percent.

Air Traffic Control Reform Newsletter #86

NextGen modernization held hostage to politics, slow progress for ADS-B, LightSquared even worse than you thought

Robert Poole

In this issue:

• NextGen modernization held hostage to politics
• Slow progress for ADS-B
• How many commercialized ANSPs?
• A subtle approach for computer-assisted controllers
• LightSquared—even worse than you thought
• News Notes
• Quotable Quotes

Surface Transportation Innovations # 94

Truck-only lanes, buses versus Amtrak, creating rail jobs and CAF� standards

Robert Poole

In this issue:

• I-70's dedicated truck lanes
• Inspector General on PPP toll roads
• Rail job fantasies
• Inter-city buses vs. Amtrak
• High cost of new CAFÉ standards
• Upcoming Conferences
• News Notes
• Quotable Quotes

The Fed's QE Makes Life Difficult

How quantitative easing is helping investors but hurting households

James Groth, Anthony Randazzo

Despite the recent Wall Street volatility, stocks remain well above their dismal lows from the spring of 2009. The resurgence of the stock market, which began with Ben Bernanke's first of two experimental forays into quantitative easing, has vexed many Main Street Americans who hear talk about recovery, but do not see it in their daily lives. Bernanke's programs have been temporarily goosing stock prices, but have consequently inflated the prices of just about everything else, placing a heavy burden on middle-class Americans. To address the current market turmoil, he may very well unveil a third round of debtmonetization and cheap credit this week in Jackson Hole. Such an announcement may once again boost investor confidence (i.e. stock prices), but it will bring only pain to the middle-class.

Trading Fertility for Prosperity

Good news about trade from the dismal science

Ronald Bailey

Economics was described as the dismal science by historian Thomas Carlyle as he contemplated the predictions of Robert Thomas Malthus that population would always outstrip the food supply leaving millions to starve. More recent research suggests that economics might better be called the cheery science since it finds that trade-induced economic growth leads to lower fertility derailing Malthus' gloomy prognostications. Reason Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey reports this really good news from the science formerly known as dismal.