Poll: Americans think Wall Street does more harm than good

A new poll makes clear that Wall Street still has a long way to go to win back public favor.

Nearly half of Americans — 47 percent — say Wall Street hurts the nation's economy more than it helps, while just 38 percent say the opposite, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center.

The poll also found that public opinion on Wall Street does not break cleanly down party lines. While liberal Democrats generally found Wall Street more harmful than helpful by a roughly 2 to 1 margin, 45 percent of "Main Street Republicans" believe the financial industry is harmful, while just 36 percent believe it is a net plus for the economy. Pew identifies voters in that group as a core Republican group: socially and fiscally conservative, but more skeptical of business than staunch conservatives.

But even staunch conservatives, who are strongly anti-government and pro-business, offer up just modest support for Wall Street. According to the poll, 48 percent say it helps more than it hurts, with 39 percent believing the opposite.

Of the political types polled, libertarians offered the most optimistic view of Wall Street. Fifty-six percent of those polled called Wall Street helpful, with just 32 percent saying it is harmful.

When it comes to the question of whether businesses make too much profit, libertarians are even more lopsided in their response: 83 percent said businesses make a fair profit, with just 13 percent saying they make too much. In contrast, 77 percent of solid liberals said businesses make too much, with just 17 percent saying they make a fair amount.

While staunch conservatives were somewhat mixed on Wall Street, they were much more united on business profits. When polled, 78 percent said businesses make a fair profit, with just 13 percent saying it is too much.

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