POLL: PEOPLE FEAR BIG GOV'T MORE THAN BIG BUSINESS OR LABOR

By MJ LEE | 12/12/11 4:42 PM EST


Americans’ fear of big government - partly fueled by a sharp spike among Democrats since President Barack Obama took office - almost reached a record high this year and is far greater than people’s concerns about big business and big labor, a new Gallup poll Monday shows.

An overwhelming 64 percent of people surveyed said big government was the biggest threat to the country, compared to just 26 percent who said big business is their gravest concern and 8 percent who picked big labor.

The all-time high for percentage of people who said big government was the biggest threat to the country was in 1999 and 2000, when 65 percent named it the country’s biggest menace.

Republicans are most wary of the threat of big government than are Democrats or independents – 82 percent of GOPers said big government was the biggest threat to the nation, compared to 64 percent of independents and 48 percent of Democrats who said the same.

The percentage of Democrats who said big government was the most significant threat to the U.S., 48 percent, has seen a notable climb since 2009, when 32 percent of the political party said big government was the most dangerous to the country’s well-being.

GOPers have become increasingly concerned about big government since 2006 when President George W. Bush was in office – 68 percent of Republicans said 5 years ago that big government was the biggest threat to the nation – in 2009 and 2011, this percentage crept up into the 80’s.

The Gallup poll was conducted Nov. 28-Dec. 1 among 1,012 adults ages 18 and older, and has an error of margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.