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NATIONAL POLL: ESTATE TAX
Public Opposition to "Death Tax" Even Stronger than Last Year

February 8, 2001

CONTACT: McLaughlin & Associates
STUART POLK, Vice President: spolk@mclaughlinonline.com (703/518-4445)

NATIONAL MEDIA RELEASE

The majority of voters wanted Congress and the President to take action on the estate tax last year and now their voice is only getting louder as they wait. The vast majority of voters, whose sentiment has intensified since last year, believe the estate tax is unfair, and they want the estate tax abolished. This strong voter sentiment cuts across all party, ideological, economic and social lines.

President Bush's across-the-board income tax cut has gained voter approval since the election and is now approved by more than two-thirds of the voters. Not only is there strong majority support for President Bush's across-the-board tax cut, the voters want too see a tax cut that takes effect immediately. More than two-thirds of the voters support cutting taxes retroactively to January 1, 2001.

A key to President Bush's overall tax package is the elimination of the estate tax. This national survey depicts the overwhelming public opinion to abolish the estate tax, and bolsters President Bush's tax agenda.

From the survey results it appears that members of Congress will be held accountable in the 2002 elections if action is not taken on the estate tax this year, and representatives who oppose abolishing the tax will be that much more vulnerable.

Key Findings: More than 4 in 5 voters believe the estate tax is unfair. This holds true across all voting segments. This issue doesn't revolve around partisan politics or class warfare; rather, these results reflect voters' belief that the estate tax is unfair on principle:

Do you think it is fair or unfair for the government to tax a person's earnings while it is being earned, and then tax it again after a person dies?

	*9/17/00*	*1/29/01*	*GOP*	*Dem*	*Ind*
Fair	9.7 %	9.4 %	7.7 %	11.0 %	9.1 %
Unfair	83.1 %	88.5 %	90.9 %	86.9 %	89.3 %
Don't Know/Refused	7.2 %	2.1 %	1.4 %	2.1 %	1.5 %

	- $40K/yr	+ $40K/yr	White	Black
Fair	7.1 %	10.8 %	10.2 %	4.2 %
Unfair	91.4 %	86.9 %	87.9 %	91.6 %
Don't Know/Refused	1.5 %	2.4 %	1.9 %	4.2 %

Voter support to abolish the estate tax has significantly strengthened since last year and now more than three-quarters of the voters would like to see the estate tax eliminated. Abolishing the estate tax is strongly supported by Republicans, Democrats and independents:

Do you approve or disapprove of abolishing the estate tax, also known as the "death tax?"

	*9/17/00*	*1/29/01*	*GOP*	*Dem*	*Ind*
Approve	68.2 %	78.5 %	81.0 %	76.1 %	80.2 %
Disapprove	19.8 %	13.7 %	12.8 %	17.1 %	10.7 %
Don't Know/Refused	12.0 %	7.8 %	6.3 %	6.8 %	9.1 %

	- $40K/yr	+ $40K/yr	White	Black
Approve	76.0 %	80.6 %	80.7 %	70.5 %
Disapprove	14.8 %	13.8 %	11.3 %	25.3 %
Don't Know/Refused	9.2 %	5.6 %	8.0 %	4.2 %

Even with an introduction implying that the estate tax primarily affects the wealthy, the vast majority of voters kept their opinion that the estate tax is fundamentally unfair:

Please listen carefully to the following statement about the estate tax. Individuals pay income taxes and capital gains taxes during their lifetime. Upon the death of an individual, all personal and family business assets in excess of $675,000 are then subject to an additional federal estate tax. Depending on the size of the estate, the tax rate can be as high as 55% or 60% for every large estate. Knowing this, do you think it is fair or unfair for the government to tax a person's earnings while it is being earned and then tax it again after a person dies?

	*1/29/01*	*GOP*	*Dem*	*Ind*
Fair	10.8 %	9.4 %	12.9 %	11.2 %
Unfair	86.9 %	89.2 %	84.8 %	86.8 %
Don't Know/Refused	2.3 %	1.4 %	2.4 %	2.0 %

	- $40K/yr	+ $40K/yr	White	Black
Fair	7.4 %	12.3 %	11.1 %	10.5 %
Unfair	90.2 %	85.8 %	86.8 %	87.4 %
Don't Know/Refused	2.5 %	1.9 %	2.1 %	2.1 %

On the broader tax cut issue, more than two-thirds of the voters currently approve of President Bush's proposal for an across-the-board federal income tax cut. Voters who may once have disapproved of President Bush's income tax cut plan now see the need for an across-the-board income tax cut that provides tax relief for all taxpayers and economic growth:

Do you approve or disapprove of President Bush's proposal for an across-the-board federal income tax cut?

	*11/7/00*	*1/29/01*	*GOP*	*Dem*	*Ind*
Approve	51.6 %	68.1 %	85.8 %	54.1 %	62.4 %
Disapprove	40.5 %	24.5 %	9.4 %	38.3 %	27.9 %
Don't Know/Refused	7.9 %	7.4 %	4.8 %	7.6 %	9.6 %

	- $40K/yr	+ $40K/yr	White	Black
Approve	65.5 %	70.3 %	69.5 %	53.7 %
Disapprove	27.1 %	23.5 %	22.8 %	41.1 %
Don't Know/Refused	7.4 %	6.3 %	7.7 %	5.3 %

More than two-thirds of the voters support cutting taxes retroactively to January 1, 2001. This strong majority opinion is evident across all voting segments and is an indication that the taxpayers have a serious concern about the current condition of the economy and their own personal finances:

In the past, the US Congress has increased taxes retroactively. Do you support cutting taxes retroactively to January 1, 2001?

	*1/29/01*	*GOP*	*Dem*	*Ind*
Yes	68.6 %	75.0 %	61.7 %	68.5 %
No	22.9 %	17.9 %	28.3 %	22.8 %
Don't Know/Refused	8.5 %	7.1 %	10.0 %	8.6 %

	- $40K/yr	+ $40K/yr	White	Black
Yes	70.8 %	65.7 %	69.1 %	65.3 %
No	17.8 %	27.8 %	22.5 %	25.3 %
Don't Know/Refused	11.4 %	6.5 %	8.3 %	9.5 %

Methodology: This national survey of political attitudes was conducted between 1/26 - 1/27, 2001, among 1,000 likely general election voters.

All interviews were conducted by professional interviewers via telephone. Interview selection was at random within predetermined election units. These units were structured to correlate statistically correlate with actual voter distributions in statewide general elections.

The accuracy of this national survey of 1,000 likely voters is within +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence interval.

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