GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite hopes from economists and retailers that advance refund checks on this year's tax payments would lead to a nationwide spending spree, a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll finds that most of those who have already received their checks are using the money to pay off bills or build up their savings accounts. The poll, conducted the weekend of August 10-12, also shows that only one out of four Americans have received a tax cut check thus far.
Of that group, 30% have used their refund to pay off bills, while 28% have invested it. Another 15% have spent their check on everyday items, such as groceries or entertainment, while 11% have spent refund checks to buy consumer goods that they would not have purchased otherwise.
It should be noted that of those who have not yet received their tax cut checks, 19% believe they should have received one already. Almost half -- 47% -- understand that their Social Security numbers put them near the end of the mailing schedule and that they should not have received their checks yet, while 32% are not sure about the status of their checks.
Tax Cut Checks Generate Potential Political Capital for Bush, Republicans
Rightly or wrongly, President Bush has tried to maximize the political benefit from the unprecedented tax cut checks. The new poll shows this effort may well succeed, as 44% of those surveyed give Bush "a lot of credit" for the checks and another 33% say he deserves some credit. The Republicans in Congress also may benefit, but to a lesser extent: just 25% say they deserve "a lot of credit" while 48% say they deserve "some credit."
At the time the law was passed, the Democratic leadership was heavily critical of the tax cut check plan, claiming that lower-than-expected budget surpluses could lead to "raids" on the Social Security and Medicare programs. This may help explain in part why the American public gives the Democrats in Congress significantly less credit than it gives Bush or the Republicans. Just 11% give the Democrats in Congress "a lot of credit" and 44% give them "some credit." The percentage of those who give the Democrats "not much credit" or "none at all" (41%) is nearly double that of those who express that opinion about President Bush (21%) or the Republicans in Congress (23%).
CREDIT FOR TAX CUT CHECKS SUMMARY TABLE
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
A lot of |
Some |
Not much credit |
None |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
President Bush |
44 |
33 |
10 |
11 |
|
Republicans in Congress |
25 |
48 |
11 |
12 |
|
Democrats in Congress |
11 |
44 |
21 |
20 |
Survey Methods
These results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,017 adults, 18 years and older, conducted August 10-12, 2001. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
What did you do with your tax cut check? Did you -- spend it on something you wouldn't have otherwise bought, spend it on everyday items such as groceries or movie tickets, pay off bills, invest it, something else, or haven't you decided what to do with it?
BASED ON -- 241 -- WHO RECEIVED TAX CUT CHECK; ±7 PCT. PTS.
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
|
|
Pay off bills |
30% |
|
Invest it |
28 |
|
Spend it on everyday items such as groceries or movie tickets |
15 |
|
Spend it on something you wouldn't have otherwise bought |
11 |
|
Gave some/all to charity |
2 |
|
Other |
4 |
|
Haven't decided what to do with it |
8 |
|
Unsure |
2 |
How much credit do you give each of the following for the fact that the government is sending tax cut checks to most taxpayers -- a lot of credit, some credit, not much credit, or none at all? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?
A. President Bush
|
A lot of |
Some |
Not much credit |
None |
No |
|
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
44% |
33 |
10 |
11 |
2 |
B. The Republicans in Congress
|
A lot of |
Some |
Not much credit |
None |
No |
|
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
25% |
48 |
11 |
12 |
4 |
C. The Democrats in Congress
|
A lot of |
Some |
Not much credit |
None |
No |
|
|
2001 Aug 10-12 |
11% |
44 |
21 |
20 |
4 |
