Since March, in one of the highest-profile economic debates in the U.S., Democrats have said increased unemployment benefits help the economy while Republicans have said the extra jobless pay makes things worse by discouraging work.
There’s not much evidence of economic harm, and voters seem to prefer the Democratic argument by a wide margin, according to a new poll by the progressive think tank Data for Progress.
Sixty-five percent of survey respondents said they agreed with the statement that the expanded benefits “help the economy by boosting consumer spending and keeping businesses and communities afloat,” while only 35% agreed the benefits “hurt the economy by encouraging people not to work.”
