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Tyler Cowen cites some Rasmussen polls:

63% of the Political Class think the government has the consent of the governed, but only six percent (6%) of those with Mainstream views agree.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of all voters now view the federal government as a special interest group, and 70% believe that the government and big business typically work together in ways that hurt consumers and investors.

Obviously there’s a lack of identification with the current government, along with serious doubts about its goals and trustworthiness. Should a small-government supporter, such as myself, be feeling optimistic?

Perhaps. The tea-party movement started as a sign pointing in the right direction, even though Republican clowns, sensing the opportunity to win some easy votes, are likely to take the libertarianish edge off it. In the end, established politicians launching themselves into the movement, claiming to fight for a smaller role for the federal government, may lead to those demands disappearing into the void. But that still leaves the displeased voters displeased.

With the poll numbers in mind, it’s not clear that people are demanding less government. Certainly, the deficits worry people, but start talking about serious cuts in benefits and I’m not so sure the support is there.

It will be interesting to see where this energy ends up. Assuming that by the end of the year, we’ll have a Republican congress joining forces with the Obama administration to maintain the borrow-and-spend policies in a bipartisan spirit, the opportunities for a political entrepreneur might be there. In the bad scenario that leads to light-weight populism. In the good scenario, if voters are finally genuinly tired of such theatrics, it leads to more responsible policies, and a smaller role for Washington. A plausible third option might be that the global economy recovers well enough, and people worry less about politics, allowing Washington to continue on as usual.

What’s your take?

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