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Americans Feel Government Doesn't Protect Them From Big Business

Braden Holly |
February 9, 2011 | 11:50 a.m. PST

Staff Reporter

Sixty-eight percent of likely U.S. voters believe that the government and big business work together against the interests of consumers and investors, according to a Rasmussen poll released Monday.

In a political climate rife with the rhetoric of tightening belts and facing up to hard economic truths, many people seem to feel that the government is not looking out for them. 

Although President Barack Obama's administration has seen the creation of the Dodd-Frank Act and the appointment of Elizabeth Warren as overseer of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, many consumers still seem to feel uneasy about the government's interest in reigning in big business.

"From the outset, going back to his days as a candidate for office, Barack Obama has been a business-friendly, economic centrist," wrote Jonathan Tasini, Wednesday, in the Huffington Post.

However, while consumers seem to feel that the government does not protect them from the predations of big business, Americans do seem to be becoming more optimistic about the economy and the future of the country. 

The number of Americans who feel that the country is headed in the right direction is up to 32 percent, the highest finding since mid-October, according to a Feb. 2 Rasmussen poll.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke seems to have an optimistic outlook regarding the U.S. economy as he addressed Congress on Wednesday, according to 24/7 Wall St.  However, Bernanke warns against considering the economic recovery to be here to stay just yet.

“Until we see a sustained period of stronger job creation, we cannot consider the recovery to be truly established,” said Bernanke.



 

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