How Many New Government Programs Do You Want – And How Many Are You Willing to Pay For?

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that polls showed broad support among Democrats for Joe Biden’s big spending proposals.  According to two different polls, 75% of Democrats favored President Biden’s original $3.5 trillion plan.  Of course, we really don’t know how the question was asked.  If it was just: “Do you support spending $3.5 trillion on new social programs and have it paid for by rich people and big corporations?”, of course, Democrats would say yes.  Maybe independents and even Republicans would, too.  After all, most people like something for free.

But I wonder what the response(s) would have been, even among Democrats, if several different formulations of the question would have been asked.  For example:

1. As the question was probably asked: Do you support President Biden’s $3.5 billion plan of social programs, which will be paid for by taxes on rich people and corporations?

2. Do you support President Biden’s $3.5 billion plan of social programs if, to pay for it, your taxes are raised by 10%? How about 5%?

3. Most western European countries with broad safety nets have an economy-wide VAT (i.e., value added tax). Would you support a 7.5% VAT to fund President Biden’s $3.5 billion plan? How about a 5% VAT?

4. How much are you willing to pay yourself for the new programs you think it is important for the federal government to provide?

As I said, I wonder what the answers to these questions would be.  Most people like new government programs and benefits – as long as they don’t have to pay for them.  But the real question: Are people willing to pay their own money, in higher taxes, for the programs they say they want?