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Welcome to America:

A large majority of Americans say the U.S. economy would probably suffer serious harm if Congress fails to give the federal government more borrowing authority. But barely half support raising the government’s debt limit, even if lawmakers also sharply cut spending.

Is this just an example of pure fantasy-based thinking? A cri de coeur that’s nothing more than an inchoate expression of frustration? A token of tribal solidarity? Proof that many Americans simply have no idea what the debt ceiling really is? Evidence that many Americans think America deserves to be seriously harmed? All of the above? Something else? Somebody needs to do some kind of in-depth interviewing to figure out what’s really going on here in the minds of our countrymen.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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