Most Americans believe federal employees are essential to the functioning of the United States, a new poll found.
The results of the NPR/PBS/Marist poll came as thousands of federal workers have already been laid-off or fired and millions more fear they’ll be next.
Last week, pollsters asked 1,700 Americans a series of questions, including which of these statements they agree with: “Most federal government employees are essential to the functioning of the United States,” or “The U.S. could function effectively without most federal government employees.”
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Overall, 60% of those polled said they believe federal employees are essential. Just 40% said they believe the government could function effectively without most federal employees.
Unsurprisingly, there was a big gap between Democratic and Republican respondents.
Support for federal workers stretches across all regions of the country, all income levels, all races and all age groups, the poll found.
The groups in which federal employees had less than majority support included white men without college degrees, white evangelical Christians and poll respondents who live in rural communities.
More Americans included in the poll viewed Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency unfavorably than those who viewed them favorably.
