America continues to move to the left as President Obama’s proposal to increase capital gains taxes on the wealthy was supported by a 56%-14% margin in a new AP/GfK poll.
According to the poll, 68 percent of those questioned said wealthy households pay too little in federal taxes; only 11 percent said the wealthy pay too much.
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Also, 60 percent said middle-class households pay too much in federal taxes while 7 percent said they paid too little.
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Obama laid out a series of tax proposals as part of his 2016 budget released this month. Few are likely to win approval in the Republican-controlled Congress. But if fellow Democrats were to embrace his ideas, they could play a role in the 2016 race.
One proposal would increase capital gains taxes on households making more than $500,000. In the survey, 56 percent favored the proposal while only 16 percent opposed it.
Democrats, at 71 percent, were the most likely to support raising taxes on capital gains. Among Republicans and independents, 46 percent supported it.
On taxes, polling has revealed that the American people side with Democrats, liberals and progressives.
Republicans like Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) continue to claim that raising taxes on the wealthy would harm the economy, “We’re six years into the Obama economic policies, and he’s proposing more of the same, more tax increases that kill investment and jobs, and policies which are hardly aspirational.”
The American people overwhelming disagree with the Republican position of lowering taxes on the wealthy while increasing them for everyone else. What is disguised by the Republican victories in gerrymandered midterm elections decided by deeply polarized electorates is the unpopularity of Republican policies. The Republican triggered Great Recession has shifted the country’s economic thinking to the left.
Democrats have yet to figure out how to break through the partisan polarization to unify all Americans who support their economic policies. As Republicans continue to move to the right, the country is moving to the left. This dynamic more than anything else is the reason Democrats will likely continue to do well in presidential election years.
In poll after poll, the nation’s opinions are revealed to be more liberal than the media and the Republican Party will ever admit.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
