High Hopes
The Clinton era; Bill Clinton takes office amid a surge of inaugural optimism and popular good will
REDUCING THE DEFICIT 33 pct. HEALTH-CARE REFORM 31 pct. CREATING JOBS 28 pct. FOREIGN-POLICY CRISES 25 pct. EDUCATION REFORM 10 pct. OTHER ECONOMIC PROBLEMS 29 pct. ANALYSIS: His big political task is to convince Ross Perot's supporters he's serious about deficit reduction. Perot's bloc is mostly made up of younger men with high-school educations and blue-collar jobs. AMERICANS WHO THINK THE PRESIDENT CAN ACCOMPLISH A LOT ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:
REDUCING THE DEFICIT 35 pct. REFORMING HEALTH CARE 55 pct. IMPROVING RACE RELATIONS 41 pct. IMPROVING SCHOOLS 56 pct. CREATING JOBS 50 pct. CHANGING THE WELFARE SYSTEM 50 pct. ANALYSIS: If Clinton makes no headway fixing the health-care crisis, he will suffer. AMERICANS WHO WORRY A LOT THAT THEY WILL:
BE A CRIME VICTIM 36 pct. LOSE HEALTH INSURANCE 34 pct. LOSE A JOB 29 pct. ANALYSIS: The pressure for health-care reform is driven by voters' very immediate fears. DO YOU SUPPORT THE UNITED STATES SENDING MORE AID TO RUSSIA?
YES 27 pct. NO 68 pct. ANALYSIS: Americans want home-front problems to preoccupy the president. WOULD YOU FAVOR OR OPPOSE THESE STEPS BY CLINTON TO CUT THE DEFICIT?
FAVOR OPPOSE RAISE GASOLINE TAXES 42 pct. 54 pct. INCREASE MEDICARE PREMIUMS FOR UPPER INCOME SENIORS 35 pct. 60 pct. INCREASE TAXES ON SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR UPPER-INCOME SENIORS 49 pct. 46 pct. CUT DEFENSE SPENDING EVEN MORE THAN BUSH PROPOSED 54 pct. 40 pct. DROP PLANS FOR A MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT 50 pct. 43 pct. DROP PLANS FOR SOME PROGRAMS TO GET THE ECONOMY GOING 57 pct. 30 pct. REDUCE TAX BREAKS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE 54 pct. 37 pct. REDUCE TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR HOME MORTGAGES 48 pct. 48 pct. INCREASE TAXES FOR BUSINESSES 48 pct. 42 pct. ANALYSIS: There is hardly consensus for sacrifice. The items with strong majorities--cutting defense spending and dropping a stimulus program--are already in place and the biggest deficit cutters are the least accepted. AMERICANS WHO THINK THESE GROUPS WILL BENEFIT FROM CLINTON'S POLICIES:
WOMEN 71 pct. CHILDREN 70 pct. POOR PEOPLE 64 pct. BLACKS 63 pct. MIDDLE CLASS 51 pct. ANALYSIS: Clinton's pledge to be a "New Democrat" sells. Watch the figure on the middle class. If it worsens, Clinton suffers.
AMERICANS WHO THINK THESE GROUPS WILL SUFFER FROM CLINTON'S POLICIES:
WEALTHY 50 pct. LOBBYISTS 43 pct. ANALYSIS: Clinton's best opening to Perot supporters is to attack lobbyists. But his own cabinet is full of lobbyists and lawyers. DO YOU APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS THAT CLINTON HAS DONE?
APPROVE DISAPPROVE CHOOSING PEOPLE TO FILL CABINET POSTS 64 pct. 15 pct. GIVING PRIORITY TO WOMEN AND MINORITIES FOR HIGH--LEVEL POSITIONS 75 pct. 17 pct. ANALYSIS: If Clinton's nominees or his proposals get bogged down, this support will weaken a lot.
U.S. News poll of 1,005 adults conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates Jan. 12-13, 1993. Margin of error: plus or minus 3 percent. Percentages may not add up to 100 because some respondents answered "Don't know." Celinda Lake consulted on this poll.
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