In a memorable Republican presidential debate moment last month,
Texas Gov. Rick Perry couldn’t remember the third government agency
he’d eliminate if elected president. Another candidate, Rep. Ron
Paul (R-Texas), says if he’s elected he’ll get rid of five federal
agencies: Commerce, Education, Energy, Housing and Urban
Development, and Interior. 

Which federal agencies are the American people most willing to
eliminate or consolidate? The Reason-Rupe
poll finds 45 percent of Americans are ready to eliminate
the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 41 percent
would eliminate the Department of Energy.

Those who would abolish or keep the departments of Housing and
Urban Development and Interior are within the margin of error,
revealing that Americans are evenly divided over whether to abolish
and consolidate these departments or keep them as is.

The Department of Education was on both Paul’s and Perry’s lists
to cut, but 61 percent of Americans want to keep it, while just 34
percent say eliminate it. Americans also seem to favor a federal
role in transportation, with 59 percent opposed to abolishing the
Department of Transportation. Sixty percent also oppose abolishing
the Department of Homeland Security, with 34 percent in favor of
abolishing and consolidating it.

Nevertheless, the fact that 30-45 percent of the population
wants to consolidate the federal bureaucracy is nothing to scoff
at. These results suggest that proposing to abolish and consolidate
federal departments is not a fringe view.

Some have proposed abolishing or consolidating certain federal
agencies and departments to reduce the deficit. I’m going to read
you a list of federal agencies and departments. Please let me know
if you would favor abolishing and consolidating its functions, or
prefer to keep it as is. The first one is, the Department of…

Find full Reason-Rupe Q4 2011 poll results, question wording,
and methodology here.

The Reason-Rupe Q4 2011
poll collected a nationally representative sample of 1200
respondents, aged 18 and older from all 50 states and the District
of Columbia using live telephone interviews from December 1-13.
Interviews were conducted on both landline and mobile phones. The
margin of sampling error for this poll is +/- 3 percent. 

Follow Emily Ekins on Twitter @emilyekins