Although Americans are aware of the fiscal cliff debate, they are unsure of whether to expect a deal before the deadline, according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll.
The survey, conducted Nov. 27-28, found that 72 percent of Americans say they've heard at least a little about the fiscal cliff, but most are still unsure whether debate between the president and Congress will result in a deal. Only 11 percent of respondents said that it was very likely that a deal would be reached, and only 12 percent said it was not at all likely. Most chose options in between: 31 percent said it was somewhat likely and 24 percent said it was not very likely. Another 23 percent said they weren't sure.
The poll found that 47 percent of Americans say they've heard a lot about the fiscal cliff debate, while another 25 percent said they've heard at least a little. Only 12 percent said they'd heard nothing at all, while 16 percent were unsure.
Other polls have similarly found confusion and skepticism about the fiscal cliff negotiations. A Pew Research Center poll conducted earlier in November found that only 28 percent of Americans thought a deal would be reached, and 51 percent said it would not. That survey also found that 68 percent of Americans think hitting the fiscal cliff would have a major effect on the U.S. economy, and 61 percent said that the effect would be mostly negative.
The HuffPost/YouGov poll was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points, though that variation does not take into account other potential sources of error including statistical bias in the sample. It used a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church.