Politics

Harvard Polling: Majority Supports DOGE Measures to Reduce the Size of Government

As the courts hash out the legalities of the orders supporting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the public appears to support the effort despite the almost universal condemnations in the media. Despite the prediction from James Carville that the Trump Administration will collapse within 30 days, a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll shows that most citizens support the cutting of government spending and size. While the courts must rule on the legal basis for these executive orders, the polling shows continued support for both Trump and his agenda after the election.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) also has declared that “remorse” was growing among voters who were souring against the Trump Administration.

Yet, the Harvard poll shows Trump with a 50% approval rating, (43% expressing disapproval). That is consistent with the RealClearPolitics polling average, giving Trump a 49.3% approval rating.

What was interesting amid the ongoing judicial and legislative fight is that 83% of voters preferred cutting government spending to raising taxes.

Some 77% also supported a broad review of government spending. A massive 70% believe government spending is rife with waste and fraud and 69% support cutting spending by $1 trillion.

Sixty percent of voters said that DOGE is carrying out the need of the government to make significant cuts.

Once again, our courts are designed to resist popular demands when they contravene legal or constitutional authorities. However, courts are also sensitive to what is called the “countermajoritarian difficulty.” As Alexander Bickel discussed in his 1962 book, The Least Dangerous Branch, the courts straddle this line between protecting constitutional values and not becoming a type of super-legislature. The political question doctrine and other judicial rules are designed to remove federal judges from making policy or political judgments.

Voters are allowed to bring about significant, even radical, changes in government policies and programs. They are allowed to elect “change agents” to use existing powers to achieve those goals.

 

232 thoughts on “Harvard Polling: Majority Supports DOGE Measures to Reduce the Size of Government”

  1. According to Mel Gibson’s father, the Germans were such an efficient people, that if they had wanted to murder six million people, well then, by golly, they would have done it.

    1. Now that I know that, I’m definitely opposed to rooting out trillions of dollars in waste and fraud. Just knowing that about Mel Gibson’s father means it would be a good thing for America to go bankrupt.

      Thanks, comrade.

  2. Thank you musk…

    “Nearly 40% of the federal contracts that the Trump administration claims to have canceled as part of its signature cost-cutting program aren’t expected to save the government any money, the administration’s own data shows.”

    For accomplishing nothing, Oh yea, you did make the nazi salute popular again.
    Thanks MAGAts

      1. “Give the phone back to mommy”

        Mommy doesn’t want her phone back until he cleans off the cr@p he got all over it from constantly talking out his a$$

      1. Don’t believe me, don’t believe musk, and certainly don’t believe trump because he has been lying about everything for a very long time.

        Do your own due diligence. Remember the $8 Billion DEI bill? turns out it was $8 Million. But $2.5 million had already been spent. They were still counting $8 billion of savings for a long time when they knew they were lying. So it was only a $5.5 million savings on that one item alone.

        They are feeding you a line of BS, don’t buy it.

        And how is treating your employees like 6 year olds going to work out? Dumbest thing ever. You don’t treat your employees that way, ever.

  3. Dear Mr. Turley, since the shoe is now on the other foot, Democrats are crying “Foul”!! Too bad!! It is my hope that President Trump along with Mr. Musk will keep on finding out the ways our money has been wasted. It will only make us better. Every business and household has to keep within a budget. Our government needs to do the same.

    1. DOGE has found little if any “waste”. What they are finding is stuff they don’t politically like. It’s idiots like you who responded to the poll.

  4. Let’s take a step back and inhale. Let’s think about what Elon Musk is doing in terms of advancing good over evil. All my life I’ve heard government lip service to yanking fraud, waste, sloth, inefficiency and stupidity out of the national government. The lip service lost. Every IG, every alphabet soup department in the bureaucracy , Congress itself. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings frames the idea for this problem:

    Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
    One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
    One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

    We have tasked Elon to take up Frodo Baggins’s task to destroy the Ring of Power in the volcanic bowels of Mount Doom.
    Let’s back up his 6 o’clock to get it done.

        1. I am not a “crybaby loser”, merely a reporter of pertinent observations.

          BTW, if you say “crybaby loser” again, people will think you have dementia.

        1. OldManFromKS,
          Thank you for pointing that out. Seems our leftist friends are not nearly as bright as they think they are.

        2. I know what a metaphor is. I just don’t spend a lot of my waking hours watching video games.

          1. Illiterate imbecile – LOTR is a series of novels, not a fvcking video game. Maybe you should have paid more attention in 8th grade when your teacher tried to teach you read (I know that typically happens by 1st grade, but that is for children of at least normal intelligence)

  5. Completely Logical – As the Government has become to big to sustain, it has also become increasingly invasive of Society. Hence the sentiment.
    With A.I. & Block Chain Audit Trails, technologies will reduce the number of employees and increase the monetary efficiencies.
    It will also increase the invasive efficiency of the Government. From the Cradle to the Grave, one long Block Chain of the transactions of Your Life.

    Hey! Thais the path we’re set on., don’t shoot the messenger.

    1. It will become seamless technology accepted by the Masses, Social Hierarchy will be based on your ability to negotiate, because knowledgeable skills will be handled by A.I.. Labor, Management, Executive classes will be structure upon access to A.I. Knowledge. currently 4 petabytes of storage will be sufficient to record an average single-lifetime. A reduction from peak global population will occur and natural restoration will reclaim certain sparsely inhabited areas. Saturation of global centers will evolve into sustainable human ecosystems. Cognitive Neuroscience and Architecture of the Mind will be at the center of these Civilized Societies.

    1. Or maybe civil libertarians concerned with privacy rights, still an important thing to some.

      1. The smaller and more gutted the government is, the less power and ability it has to intrude in people’s lives.

      2. And just how does reducing waste and fraud constitute a violation of rights. Are you advocating that if we ask a thief if he stole something then we are violating his rights? Do you realize that Musk had access to most of that info when he ran PayPal, and what personal information might someone be afraid of being discovered? Could it be their membership in a group grooming children, aiding illegals, passing money through pipelines like USAID? It seems as if you had no problem with the government closely investigating Christians, gun owners and PTA parents; Why worry about this group of potential grifters? Or, because they advance your agenda or, perchance, they recompense you for posting garbage on sights like these

  7. I forward to the Republicans DRASTICALLY cutting Federal Aid and loan backing to cities, states, non-profits and colleges
    also banning public unions as they just bribe democrats for lavish packages!

  8. the Democrat Party is fighting a Civil War against America. Our Government which is Majority Democrat…is helping to FIGHT THAT WAR!

  9. If DOGE has the same qualities of “the swamp”, such as invasiveness and intrusiveness, then
    we are back to square one.

  10. Q. If government employees are directed to report back to work (in person) will Trolldom decrease or disappear?

  11. The Harvard poll suggests that voters can support policies without being supportive of the policymaker. This is actually how it’s supposed to be. Too often, when we have “identity” politics, we are persuaded to vote for the person and not to consider the person’s policies. All things considered, that is fanciful and stupid. But, let’s be honest, it exists and is difficult to overcome. The number one item on the voters’ minds in the last election was “change.” Harris gave them word salads and incomprehensible syllogisms.

    Trump said he would do precisely what he has been doing for the past month. The voters went with Trump, even some who had never voted for a Republican. For example, Trump got the most black votes of any Republican candidate for president in the last half-century. If nothing else, this shows a mature voter appreciation for policies over identity. Now, Trump needs to continue on and then be able to show progress toward the change that people voted for. He is well on his way, and his political foes are vanquished and flailing around desperately, looking to find something new and different to replace their failed policies.

    As we move closer and closer to the promised change, we must be prepared to incur isolated and temporary setbacks as the courts and Congress settle into having a robust Executive Branch for the first time in a long time. Some individuals, likewise, may be temporarily harmed by the harshness of change policies, but they, too, should emerge stronger and better for having survived. Ultimately, we should be better and more financially secure for having trimmed our sails and made it through the rough waters of the Biden administration.

    1. Well Said. There are always casualties in radical change, even to hard working and innocent people and that is regrettable but None seemed to cry for the midwest as our heavy industry and manufacturing was destroyed or transported offshore and hundreds of thousand lost jobs. “Learn coding” was a particularly nasty and condescending response. Maybe this is their answer to D.C. where their cries were unanswered and ignored or even made fun of. I do not cry for most of the federal workers but some will be hurt despite doing impactful jobs. I have a sister who worked decades in ATF, primarily handling distillery taxation, another relative who is in DOT law enforcement and recent veteran, and a niece who works at home handling all sorts of difficulties of VAH patrons. Highly dedicated to them and quite passionate about her job. She continued to work full time over the past 1 1/2 years while dealing with chemotherapy and surgery and radiation for cancer . She had a special bond with her grandfather (my father) who was a veteran of Korea and WW 2. Her passion was she just thought of her patients as her grandfather and did for them what she would have wanted to be done for him. I worry about them all but this needs to be done.

      1. GEB: A wonderful story about wonderful people caring for others. It is inspiring. Yes, we must be very careful not to inadvertently harm people who are doing important work and doing it well. Changing jobs is a stressful and difficult task for many people, especially those in occupations where they interact often with coworkers and patients. Hopefully, good people like the members of your family that you mentioned will survive and thrive. God bless them and you for all that you and they do.

  12. If DOGE has proven anything Jonathan, it’s that our federal government has been incredibly averse to seriously auditing any of their many programs (let alone cutting spending).

    1. And a majority of sheep support eating grasses and legumes. So what’s your point?

      1. One of the tenets of this nation’s founding is that you still have a right not to have bad things done to you, despite what the majority might want to do to you.

        1. If they were not doing bad things in the first place or if they would do their jobs as they were being paid to do, they would not lose their jobs.

      2. It’s a good point that you yourself can benefit from, so I wouldn’t mock it if I were you.

  14. Funny how a conservative blog will support an “elitist” institution if it supports their bias.

    1. The poll is not the institution, moron.

      Also, Turley is not a conservative.

      Funny how a moderate looks like a conservative to a brain dead libtard.

      1. I was referring to Harvard as an institution…not the poll. Reread my post for comprehension, moron.

        Perhaps you would like to enlighten readers regarding good Professor Turley’s political stance?

        1. Then mayne you’d like to explain how Turley was “supporting” Harvard.

          LMAO you are too stupid for words.

        2. You troll the good professor’s blog while we pay your paycheck. Perhaps Darren should send you IP address to DOGE. Then they can do an audit of what you have done to justify you paycheck.

  15. DOGE has found schools misused COVID funds for things like Las Vegas hotel rooms, renting a MLB stadium, pool passes and even buying an ice cream truck. And done with no documentation. No accountability.

    1. Absolutely, you fvcking idiot.

      Where have you been?

      Ever hear of FISA?

      Ever hear of the Patriot Act?

      Hell, even your precious Roe v Wade established a privacy right and then dispensed of it at “viability”.

      Next stupid question?

    2. #74. Privacy and private property including the work done as property? Apparently it’s a myth.

  17. Unspoken in reporting on poll results is that a majority of people really don’t have a clue about what they are being asked about. Oh yes, let’s cut $1 trillion! While I happen to agree, most folks haven’t a clue what that means in real-life. Why not $2 trillion?

    2. “a majority of people really don’t have a clue about what they are being asked about.”

      That is why the US was designed to be a republic, not a democracy. Unfortunately, we have largely abandoned that paradigm, to our overwhelming but hopefully not everlasting (we shall soon see), detriment. Yes, I switched the context from polls to voting, but imo there are far more similarities than differences.

  18. Absolutely professor! The majority of Americans, across all parties, think and want government fraud, waste and abuse put to an end. Every year we read some reports about how much money is lost from a given agency. Just gone! The only ones who oppose it are the ones who were benefiting from the fraud, waste and abuse or leftist Democrats as Trump is making good on his campaign promise. He is succeeding where no other president has to this degree before in eliminating fraud, waste and abuse.

    1. You don’t seem to like the idea of people having the right not to have bad things done to them.

      1. When they have done or been doing bad things in the first place or dont do their jobs, why should we keep paying them?

        1. Privacy rights do not exist? Wow. This is legal blog populated by people with an interest in all things legal? Wow.

          3. You said “bad things,” not privacy rights. There is no such thing as a “right not to have bad things happen to you.” Like getting caught after stealing, like stubbing your toe, like catching a cold. You want to change your position, but I was responding to what you actually said, not to your new, changed position.

      3. “the right not to have bad things done to them.”

        In what part of the Constitution did you find that right articulated?

        “Talking ’bout a world where all is free, it just couldn’t be.
        AND ONLY A FOOL WOULD SAY THAT” – Steely Dan, “Only a Fool Would Say That; Can’t Buy a Thrill”

    1. you will have to hold down the fort in my absence since I’m on my way to the clinic for physical therapy. Have fun with the trolls. Hope you are doing well

      1. Estovir,
        Wishing you a speedy recovery!! Good luck at PT. Sometimes it can be brutal. But something tells me you are well prepared for it.

      2. Estovir-Just completed 3 months of PT post knee replacement. I also had the lower leg on that same side that went off 17degrees from straight due to rickets in childhood. Those young ladies and gentleman smiled and worked you hard and asked for that extra 10 degrees you never thought you would see again as your new knee bent, and then more and more. It hurt until gradually it didn’t and now I’m back to walking 3 miles a day, up and down stairs also. A good surgeon and outstanding PT, nothing like it. Would not want to do it again though. Good luck for full recovery.

    2. Troll meltdown? Careful what you wish for: 😀

      TIME TO BOOT ELON MUSK OUT OF DODGE AND MUZZLE HIS PET ORANGUTAN

        1. Who would boot Elon? Maybe some of Trump’s smarter handlers could show Musk the door when they get tired of his adolescent antics.

      2. Sounds as if you have a vested interest in continuing the great bureaucratic grift.

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