Poll: Americans Want Compromise Budget Solution

Bipartisan efforts are brewing to address the government’s budget mess, and most Americans apparently support those efforts. A new poll by Bloomberg indicates a majority of respondents want the two parties to reach a compromise on the budget, avoiding a government shutdown, Politico reports.

The survey showed 77 percent of Americans realize spending cuts are necessary to reduce the deficit and want them made while the government remains open. Only 20 percent favor implementing spending cuts even if that leads to a government shutdown.

Conventional wisdom has it that Democrats would benefit more from a shutdown than Republicans. But the poll shows that’s not the case, with 45 percent saying a shutdown would help the GOP and 34 percent saying Democrats would be the winners.