Poll: Most OK with 2011 budget deal

PRINCETON, N.J., April 13 (UPI) -- Americans back the 2011 budget deal reached last week but split on whether next year's budget should cut deeper into domestic spending, Gallup said Wednesday.

Support for the deal reached Friday to avoid a government shutdown was higher among Democrats, 71 percent, than Republicans and independents, 60 percent and 58 percent, respectively, results of the Gallup-USA Today poll indicated.

Neither party was seen as the victor in the protracted negotiations, results indicated. Five percent said it was a victory for the Democrats, while 8 percent said the Republicans came out ahead and 20 percent said the deal was good for both. Fifty-six percent said neither side won, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Americans reacted favorably to Democratic and Republican approaches to balancing the 2012 federal budget, Gallup said. They generally supported the Democratic proposal of raising taxes on households earning at least $250,000. They were evenly split about making significant additional cuts to domestic programs, a key component of the plan offered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., House Budget Committee chairman.

Gallup said about 6 in 10 Republicans said they favored cutting domestic programs further. About the same proportion of Democrats and about half of independents said they opposed the plan.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews conducted with 1,004 adults Monday. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.