Debt Limit Showdown and the 4-Day Workweek

Will the U.S. default? Will the government shut down? Will Republicans or Democrats blink? Very soon, Congress must vote to lift the $28.4 trillion debt limit or there could be catastrophic economic consequences like a default or government shutdown. What do Americans think about this? And what if there is a government shutdown? Last time around (2019) 58% of Americans said the shutdown was “a very serious problem.” But, opinions tend to fall along partisan lines.

The pandemic has changed a lot about work for a lot of people. But, how many of those changes will be permanent? Some companies (and one country) have moved to a 4-day workweek. In recent polling, working Americans like the idea. Some say it prevents burnout and keeps workers happier and more engaged. We talk with Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, four-time author and founder of Strategy and Rest, a consultancy devoted to helping companies and workers “harness the power of rest” in order to shorten workdays while staying focused and productive.

You can follow Alex Pang’s work on Twitter @askpang, as well as his company's website www.strategy.rest.

Finally, are you able to remember faces or names better? Lee’s fun fact this week is all about first meetings with new people!

About Poll Hub

Each week, Poll Hub goes behind the science to explain how polling works, what polls really show, and what the numbers really mean. Poll Hub is produced by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, home of America’s leading independent college public opinion poll, the Marist Poll.

Lee Miringoff (Director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion), Barbara Carvalho (Director of the Marist Poll), and Jay DeDapper (Director of Innovation at the Marist Poll) dig deep to give you a look at the inner workings of polls and what they tell us about our world, our country, and ourselves.