It is the assurance of that stream of benefits that motivates the high levels of concern about Social Security, not a belief that fabulous wealth is being lost by not being able to play the stock market with FICA taxes. The public isn't really sure. But it is also not sure of the idea of setting up private accounts to let individuals invest payroll taxes in the stock market. This actually reverses the result from a year ago, where a weak majority favored the proposal. The public is much surer what it is against.
People are adamantly opposed to cutting benefits and raising the retirement age.
Raising the payroll tax actually fares a bit better, though public sentiment can hardly be characterized as supportive here either. For example, a March 1999 Fox News poll finds the public opposing a general increase in the payroll tax by 54 to 37 percent. However, people are much more open to tax increases targeted on the affluent. The public has a mixed reaction to two proposals floated by President Clinton in early 1999. However, recent Hart Research results suggest that, if the public is truly convinced this government investment will be pursued by an independent intermediary, people may be more favorable to the option.