The shift toward more support for an increase can be seen across the political spectrum. Last month, 54 percent of Democrats opposed raising the debt ceiling. Now 61 percent support increasing it. And while a majority of Republicans and independents oppose an increase, it's by a narrower margin than last month. Thirty-three percent of Republicans now say the debt ceiling should be raised, up from 16 percent last month; 40 percent of independents say it should be raised, up from 21 percent last month.

 

Two thirds of Americans back the Obama administration position that a deal to increase the debt ceiling should include both spending cuts and tax increases, while just 28 percent back the Republican position of only spending cuts. Three in four say an agreement they do not fully support would be preferable to having the U.S. default on its debts.

 

Expected consequences of inaction:

 

A slim majority of Americans - 51 percent - say they think the United States will "probably not" default on its debts if the debt ceiling is not raised. Thirty-eight percent say the nation will "probably" default without an increase. Republicans and independents are more likely than Democrats to predict that the nation will not default.