Poll: Extend Bush Tax Cuts, Say Americans Worried About Economy

Ninety percent of Americans are concerned about the economy, according to a new CNBC poll, and two-thirds of those surveryed think neither Democrats nor Republicans have a clear vision for improving it.

The poll by Public Opinion Strategies/Hart Research was conducted between September 9 and 12.

A majority of the respondents believe the Bush tax cuts should be extended, even for people making more than $250,000 a year.

Fifty-five percent think increasing taxes on any Americans will slow the economy and kill jobs. On the other hand, 40 percent believe those tax cuts should be cancelled for higher-income Americans.

Only 14 percent of those surveyed believe that the government’s policies dealing with the recession are helping them, while 56 percent say the policies are aiding banks.

A clear majority of Americans, 55 percent, believe that the president’s economic plans have made things worse, running up the deficit without ending the recession or creating new jobs.

Only 42 percent say the president’s policies have helped avert a worse crisis and are laying the groundwork for further growth.

• Read Complete Poll Results Here

And Americans have changed their mind about more regulation for business and industry. Eighteen months ago, 47 percent  of Americans thought increased government regulation would be good for the economy. Today, only 34 percent of those surveyed believe more regulation is good, while 47 percent believe it would hurt the economy.