Survey of the Day: 47 Percent of Americans Think Wall Street Harms the Economy

The Occupy Wall Street movement continues to generate headlines, so what better time to see what Americans actually think of our esteemed financial institutions?

Forty-seven percent of Americans think Wall Street hurts the American economy more than it helps, whereas only 38 percent think the opposite is true.

Fifteen percent of the 3,029 adults who were surveyed by the Pew Center For the People and the Press had no answer to the question of whether Wall Street does more harm or good.

According to Pew’s analysis of the results, the economic situation of the survey’s respondents trumped partisan politics when it came to assessing Wall Street. Affluent members of both the Democratic and Republican parties were the most likely to buck the overall trend and see Wall Street as a net positive.

[Pewresearch.org]