Spiked Interest in Shutdown Spring Budget Battle Spiked Interest As in Shutdown Spring Budget Neared Battle % following very closely
Currently, 38% say they followed news about the debt limit debate very closely, little different from the 34% that said this one week earlier according to the latest Weekly News Interest Index survey, conducted July 21-24 among 999 adults by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. The survey was conducted before the prime-time speeches on July 25 by President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
Public interest in the debt stalemate has risen over the past month, from 29% during the first week of July to 38% this week. Interest is well below the 47% who tracked the budget showdown in early April, but that survey was conducted over the final weekend before a government shutdown loomed. The week earlier – roughly comparable in time to this week – just 30% were following the shutdown debate very closely.
Spiked Interest in Shutdown Spring Budget Battle  | Spiked Interest As in Shutdown Spring Budget Neared Battle  | % following very closely  | 38  | 34  | 36  | 30 29  | 29  | 30%  | 27  | 26  | 25 23  | 24  | 25 23 24  | 25 21-24 July  | 21-24  | agreement Apr 7-10  | (Apr 8 agreement govt averted  | an Apr 11 govt shutd own)  | Feb  | Jun  | Jul  | Mar  | Apr  | May  | PEW specific RESEARCH question CENTER wording July different 21-24, 2011.See topline for  | PEW specific RESEARCH question CENTER wording July at different 21-24, 2011.See times 