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# Rasmussen: Americans want Less Government, More Freedom
- URL: https://ivn.us/rasmussen-americans-want-less-government-more-freedom/
- Published: 2012-07-16T16:37:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-22T19:27:41.000Z
- Author: Chad Peace
- Tags: News

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/Big-Government.jpg "Big Government")](https://ivn.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Big-Government.jpeg)

Whether we are talking about the Bush years or Obama's current term, the federal government has grown exponentially. Under Bush, we got [No Child Left Behind](http://ideas.time.com/2012/01/12/lets-not-weaken-it-an-exclusive-interview-with-george-w-bush-on-nclb/?ref=ivn.us), the [Patriot Act](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1007/6564.html?ref=ivn.us), and we saw ungodly amount of money spent on the [Department of Homeland Security](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/09/september-11-homeland-security-spending%5Fn%5F953288.html?ref=ivn.us). Under Obama, the federal government has taken ahold of health care laws, the [Patriot Act has been extended](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/patriot-act-extension-signed-obama-autopen%5Fn%5F867851.html?ref=ivn.us), and most [recently, Obama signed a bill ](https://ivn.us/2012/07/15/obama-declares-media-dictatorship-in-new-executive-order/)that would give the executive emergency powers to "take over" the internet. But according to a recent poll, Americans want less government and more freedom. From [Rasmussen Reports](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public%5Fcontent/politics/general%5Fpolitics/july%5F2012/66%5Fbelieve%5Fu%5Fs%5Fhas%5Ftoo%5Fmuch%5Fgovernment%5Fpower%5Ftoo%5Flittle%5Ffreedom?ref=ivn.us):

> Today, however, 66% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that there is too much government power and too little individual freedom. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just eight percent (8%) believe the opposite to be true. Twenty-two percent (22%) think the balance is about right.

What do you think? Has our government got to big? Do we need more freedom?