Attitudes about tax increases have been shifting over the years

As Congressional Republicans have become more opposed to tax increases, American voters have moved in the opposite way. In 1982, notes the NYT's Catherine Rampell, three-quarters of Americans said that spending cuts alone should be used to reduce deficits; only 13 percent wanted to see tax increases (keeping in mind that federal tax rates for the highest income Americans were still in the 70 percent range. Rampell asked the Times polling department to see how American attitudes have changed.

NBC News/Associated Press Poll, March 1982 In order to help reduce the federal budget deficit, which of the following would you prefer -- federal income tax increases or federal spending cuts?

13% Tax increases
77% Spending cuts
4% Both (volunteered)
6 % Don't know

Gallup, May 1988
There are a number of ways to reduce the federal budget deficit, if the government decides to. Some people say we can reduce the deficit simply by cutting spending. Others say a combination of spending cuts and tax increases is required. Which of these views comes closer to your own?

47% Cutting spending
39% Combination of spending cuts and tax increases
2% Do neither (volunteered)
12% Don't know/Undecided

Quinnipiac University Poll, March 2010
To reduce the federal budget deficit do you think there should be a combination of tax increases and spending cuts, or that only taxes should be raised, or only that spending should be cut?

42% Combination
4% Only tax increases
49% Only spending cuts
5% Don't know/No answer

New York Times/CBS News, September 2011
Do you think any plan to reduce the federal budget deficit should include only tax increases, or only spending cuts, or a combination of both tax increases and spending cuts?

3% Only tax increases
21% Only spending cuts
71% Both
5% Don't know/No answer

Of course, Republicans never acknowledge this considerable shift in sentiment. It would only upend the narrative.