Nationwide Survey Shows Large Majority Of U.S. Voters Think Complicated Government Rules And Regulations Are Major Impediments To Job Creation

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A new nationwide survey of U.S. voters finds that large majorities think complicated government rules and regulations are major impediments to job creation and want Congress to address the problem. At a time when job creation is a major challenge for America, 64% of voters nationwide say "complicated" rules and regulations are "major impediments" to job creation. (An even higher 68% of voters in swing states say so.)

An overwhelming 87% of voters nationwide support periodic spring cleanings, expressing a belief that "there is a need for Congress to go through old laws, regulations and programs on a regular basis to eliminate those that are no longer needed or that may not work as originally intended." All demographic groups––gender, race, age, income, party, region, and education––strongly support periodic review.

Probing public opinion on two proposals designed to simplify the governmental regulatory process, the poll also found:

• 57% of voters nationwide support the idea of a "one-stop shop" for small business approvals and permitting.
• 59% think "Congress should create an infrastructure super-authority to reduce permitting and regulatory delays so that new transportation, energy, and environmental projects could be approved within one year of application."

"American voters see complicated government regulations as impeding job creation and want them simplified," said Philip K. Howard, Founder and Chair of Common Good, the nonpartisan government reform coalition that commissioned the survey. "With so many Americans unemployed, it's time for our elected officials to unite around this concept."

ABOUT THE POLL: The survey was conducted for Common Good by Clarus Research Group, a nonpartisan survey firm based in Washington, D.C., on October 2-4, 2012. The sample included 1,296 self-identified registered voters nationwide, who were interviewed by live telephone interviewing specialists via landlines and cells.

TOPLINE RESULTS: The following are the exact questions asked in the survey, in the order in which they were asked, with topline results:

Please listen carefully and tell me if you would agree or disagree with the following statement... Complicated government rules and regulations are major impediments to the creation of new jobs in America.
AGREE 64%, DISAGREE 31%, DON'T KNOW/NO ANSWER 5%

Do you think businesses would create more jobs if government agencies coordinated small businesses regulatory approvals and permits into a one-stop shop–yes or no?
YES 57%, NO 26%, DON'T KNOW/NO ANSWER 17%

Do you think Congress should create an infrastructure super-authority to reduce permitting and regulatory delays so that new transportation, energy, and environmental projects could be approved within one year–yes or no?
YES 59%, NO 30%, DON'T KNOW/NO ANSWER 11%

Do you think there is a need for Congress to go through old laws, regulations and programs on a regular basis to eliminate those that are no longer needed or that may not work as originally intended?
YES 87%, NO 8%, DON'T KNOW/NO ANSWER 5%

Common Good (www.commongood.org) is a nonpartisan government reform coalition dedicated to restoring common sense to America. The Chair of Common Good is Philip K. Howard, a lawyer and author of Life Without Lawyers and The Death of Common Sense.

SOURCE Common Good