What People Don't Know About Taxes

So, the CBS/NYTimes poll asked

"In general, do you think the Obama Administration has increased taxes for most Americans, decreased taxes for most Americans or have they kept taxes the same for most Americans?" 

Your gut reaction, especially if you listen to the Limbaugh-Hannity-Beck triumvirate, would be to think hell yes, my taxes have gone up.  The graphic below shows the poll result:

As the polling post notes, "Of people who support the grassroots, "Tea Party" movement, only 2 percent think taxes have been decreased, 46 percent say taxes are the same, and a whopping 44 percent say they believe taxes have gone up."

Actually, taxes have gone down.  At least so far.

In terms of what people know, it's often what we want to know.