Poll: Americans believe government is too large

Most Americans are critical of the federal government's size and scope, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released this week.

The poll, conducted in September, asked nearly 1,000 Americans to rate their overall perception of government. When asked to describe the federal government in one word or phrase, 72 percent of those surveyed responded negatively, while just 10 percent reported positive associations, and 18 percent had neutral or mixed views. Respondents said government was "too big," "confused," "corrupt," "incompetent" and "broken."

"The federal government has a brand image problem," said Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport on Wednesday during a panel discussion to accompany the report's release.

The government must fix its image while also improving the services it provides to the public, Frank said. Survey respondents suggested firing elected officials, cutting spending and reducing government size, he noted.

Republican lawmakers this year have introduced several proposals to limit federal workforce growth and reduce government salaries, such as two-week employee furloughs, staffing caps and hiring freezes.

According to Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, the size of the federal government actually has declined as contracting and outsourcing have increased. Privatization has not proved to reduce cost, however, he said.

"A serious amount of attention must be paid to those issues and whether reducing the number of people is the way to go," he said.

Analysts also suggested Congress bears the brunt of the public's negative perceptions. The legislative branch is the "epicenter of the problem," said William Galston, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. People expect their government to be honest, competent and responsive to their needs, he added.