New Poll Shows Lack of Faith in Government

The Takeaway

A  New York Times/CBS News poll  released Tuesday reveals a deep sense of frustration with government as both political parties have failed to give voters a sense that they can fix the economy. Seven in 10 Americans think the policies of Republicans favor the rich, while two-thirds support raising taxes on millionaires. A  report  from the Congressional Budget Office also out on Tuesday says that incomes for the top 1 percent of earners have grown by  275 percent in the last 30 years, versus just 40 percent for people in the middle income scale.  The poll’s findings are bad news for both Republicans and Democrats alike as they prepare for a pivotal election in 2012. New York Times  national political correspondent Jeff Zeleny  helps parse the numbers and explains what this means for the country.

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