Gallup Poll: U.S. Congress, Gouging Blamed Equally for Gas Prices

August 6, 2008 · Filed Under Do-It-Yourself, Eco-Driving, Fuelishness!, Fuels

Source: GallupÂ Today’s extremely high gas prices are causing many Americans financial hardship. Some of the explanations offered for the surge in prices seem to make sense, including an increase in global demand for oil, a lack of energy conservation by American consumers, and even a failure to increase domestic oil supplies. Still, it is hard to argue that global supply and demand alone changed so significantly during the first half of this year as to justify prices at the pump of $4 a gallon.

Given this basic lack of face validity associated with the argument that free-market forces are the most important reason for record gas prices, many Americans are looking to other places in order to place blame. Not surprisingly, the oil companies and the international oil cartel (the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) tend to top the consumers’ list. However, it appears that the high gas price situation has persisted for so long that many Americans now believe Congress and the Bush administration also deserve a large part of the blame simply because they haven’t acted to ameliorate the gas price situation.