Nationwide Survey Shows Large Majorities of U.S. Voters Want Federal Government Simplified

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new nationwide survey of U.S. voters finds that large majorities think America needs simpler, less complicated government. At a time when national political issues are polarized, the magnitude of agreement found in this poll is striking:

• 93% of voters nationwide think Congress and the President should overhaul government programs with the goal of eliminating those that duplicate functions.
• 92% of voters believe it would be a good idea to review all government regulations at least once every 10 years to make sure they work.
• 85% say simplifying government rules and regulations should be an important national priority.
• 85% say simplifying the structure of government should be an important national priority.
• 83% believe it would be a good idea to revise all laws and regulations with the goal of making them simpler and more understandable.
• 82% say eliminating unnecessary and overlapping government bureaucracy would go a long way to reducing the federal budget deficit.
• 81% say making regulations "simpler and less complex" would help the economy create jobs.
• 78% think the budget deficit could be reduced substantially if we simplified government rules, bureaucracies, and programs.

"It's hard to balance the budget when complex and obsolete laws prevent government from changing how it does things," said Philip K. Howard, Founder and Chair of Common Good, the nonpartisan government reform coalition that sponsored the survey. "It's time simplifying government becomes a national priority."

The survey was conducted for Common Good by Clarus Research Group, a nonpartisan survey firm based in Washington, D.C., on December 5-7, 2012. The sample included 1,000 self-identified registered voters nationwide, who were interviewed by live telephone interviewing specialists via landlines and cells.

TOPLINE RESULTS: The following are the exact questions asked in the survey with topline results:

I am now going to read a number of statements. Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with each one...

Making government regulations simpler and less complex would help the economy to create more jobs.

Agree 81%
Disagree 16%

Eliminating unnecessary and overlapping government bureaucracy would go a long way to reducing the federal budget deficit.

Agree 82%
Disagree 14%

The federal budget deficit could be reduced substantially if we simplified government rules, bureaucracies, and programs.

Agree 78%
Disagree 15%

Do you think simplifying the structure of government by making paperwork and bureaucracy less complex is something that should be a very important national priority, a somewhat important national priority, or should not be an important national priority?

Very important 45%
Somewhat important 40%
Not important 12%

Do you think simplifying government rules and regulations is something that should be a very important national priority, a somewhat important national priority, or should not be an important national priority?

Very important 50%
Somewhat important 35%
Not important 13%

Do you think it would be a good idea to review all government regulations at least once every 10 years to make sure they work, yes or no?

Yes 92%
No 6%

Do you think it would be a good idea to revise all laws and regulations with the goal of making them simpler and more understandable, yes or no?

Yes 83%
No 14%

Do you think Congress and the President should overhaul government programs with the goal of eliminating those that duplicate functions, yes or no?

Yes 93%
No 3%

Common Good (www.commongood.org) is a nonpartisan government reform coalition dedicated to restoring common sense to America. The Founder and Chair of Common Good is Philip K. Howard, a lawyer and author of Life Without Lawyers and The Death of Common Sense.

SOURCE Common Good