False Choices in Polling on the Economy: Unemployment Benefits vs. Deficits

A few weeks ago, I took a look at an Economist/YouGov poll and pointed out that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the American people generally see budget deficits as a less important issue than the economy as a whole. Now the Arthur Delaney at the Huffington Post rounds up some of the latest polling data, which says something similar on the specific issue of unemployment benefits:

Two national polls released Tuesday revealed that registered voters think it's more important to help the unemployed than to reduce the deficit.

Voters are generally wary of government spending to boost the economy, but they nevertheless told ABC News and CBS News that the deficit is no reason not to help the unemployed.

Fifty-two percent of voters told CBS that Congress should extend unemployment benefits "even if it means increasing the budget deficit," including 35 percent of Republicans. Sixty-two percent of registered voters told ABC Congress should extend benefits despite concerns that doing so "adds too much to the federal budget deficit."

In a Bloomberg survey, 70 percent of voters said reducing unemployment is more important than reducing the deficit. But only 47 percent said Congress should reauthorize extended benefits, which in some states provided the unemployed with up to 99 weeks of checks.

A poll commissioned by the National Employment Law Project in June found that 74 percent of voters think helping the unemployed is more important than reducing the deficit.

Of course, what these polls fail to note is that the choice laid out in the questions is a false one. Extending unemployment benefits will have virtually no long-term impact on the deficit. For example: the ABC News question raises the concern that extending unemployment insurance "adds too much to the federal budget deficit." 

Here’s how the questions in the ABC News poll was written:

Because of the economic downturn, Congress has extended the period in which people can receive unemployment benefits, and is considering doing so again. Supporters say this will help those who can’t find work. Opponents say this adds too much to the federal budget deficit. Do you think Congress should or should not approve another extension of unemployment benefits?

I wonder what would happen if, you know, facts were included in the question:

Because of the economic downturn, during which there is currently one job opening for every five unemployed workers, Congress has extended the period in which people can receive unemployment benefits, and is considering doing so again. Supporters say this will help those who can’t find work, is one of the most efficient ways to spur the economy, and that not doing so could imperil economic recovery. Opponents say this adds too much to the federal budget deficit. Virtually all economists believe that these benefits should be extended and that doing so will not add too much to the federal budget deficit. Do you think Congress should or should not approve another extension of unemployment benefits?

Actually, I don’t wonder at all.