Poll: Americans say government is too big, has too much power

(The Center Square) — Newly released polling data shows most American think the government is too big and has too much power.

Gallup released the new survey data, which shows that 54% of surveyed Americans say government is “trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses.” That number has stayed relatively the same since 2021.

Overall, only 43% of surveyed Americans say the government should be doing more.

“This critique of the government is similar to Americans’ views over the past two years; however, it differs from 2020, when 54% of Americans said they wanted the government to do more,” Gallup said. “That reading, taken in the first year of the pandemic, is the only time in Gallup’s trend dating back to 1992 that a majority have wanted a more active government.”

The issue is split along partisan lines, with 81% of Republicans saying the federal government is “too powerful.”

Meanwhile, the percentage of Democrats who say the government should do more has increased steadily since the 1990s.

“Democrats have grown increasingly likely to want the government to do more, rising from 61% at the start of Clinton’s presidency in 1993 to 75% today,” Gallup said. “This dynamic also explains why concern about excessive government has been lower under Biden than it was under Obama and Clinton, because fewer Democrats hold that view today than in the past.”

Notably, the plurality of Americans say the government has too many regulations on businesses.

“Americans are more inclined to say the government regulates business and industry too much (44%) than too little (25%), while 31% think there’s the right amount,” Gallup said.