Nine in ten Americans are worried about the rising deficit - and in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll more than a third would like to see it balanced immediately. Among those with an opinion three times as many (57%) expect entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare to create major economic problems if nothing is done as think there won't be such problems (19%). But there is no consensus solution. Less than a quarter supports raising taxes; less than a quarter favors decreasing benefits. Although 25% would do both, a third want NO changes in either taxes or benefits.
And there is even less support for change among those 65 and older, the Americans who are most likely to be receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits. 39% of them would do nothing; though almost three times as many of them (25%) would increase taxes as would reduce benefits (9%).
