Public Recognizes Debt as a Fast Growing Problem in U.S.

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies will release a report today, co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress, that reveals broad public concern about the growing problem of household debt in America. The national survey results, which will be released at the Center for American Progress debt conference today, show that Americans have considerable consensus about how to address this issue.

Increased public concern about household debt has sprouted from rising household costs, first-hand experience with unmanageable debt, and the perception that the American economy is performing unevenly. This is not a problem primarily facing low-income families, but one that those surveyed believe is threatening the American middle-class and the American dream.

Payday lenders, car finance companies, and credit card companies draw the most intense public criticism. Yet, the American people do not discount the importance of individual responsibility when it comes to debt.

Ultimately, respondents hold individuals responsible for their personal finances, more so than lenders or changes in the economy. This belief leads the American people to support policy solutions such as savings incentives, financial education, and ending abusive practices that enable borrowers to meaningfully exercise personal responsibility.

Read the full report:

• Public Recognizes Debt as a Fast Growing Problem in U.S. (PDF)

See report materials:

• Debt Survey Presentation (PDF)
• Survey Frequency Questionnaire (PDF)
• Poll Shows African Americans and Hispanics Particularly Concerned About Growing Consumer Indebtedness and Eager for Government Solutions (PDF)