One more indicator came Monday that the Great Recession has not yet greatly altered Americans view of big business or big government. A clear majority of Americans continue to view government as the "biggest threat to the country in the future," far more than name big business, according to Gallup.

Gallup has asked since 1965 which three institutions--big government, big business or big labor--pose the greatest threat to nation's future? Big government has led the list every year.

On Monday, Gallup reported that 55 percent of Americans view big government as the biggest threat, while 32 percent say big business and only 10 percent say big labor. This is statistically identical to what the poll found in December 2008.

This White House is investing its political capital in big government measures like national health care. But the poll may especially capture the unpopularity of Wall Street bailouts rather than some potential safety nets. National health care, for example, enjoys majority support in polls. Still, as I noted here in early March, it appears President Obama's active state liberal approach remains not quite in step with the public overall.

Today's recession has not, in fact, impacted Americans to the same degree as the 2002 accounting scandals. That year, for the first time since 1981, the portion of Americans naming big government fell below a majority--to 47 percent. But even in 2002, only 38 percent named big business as the big threat.

Not since the early 1970s has institutional anxiety polled at near balance. In 1969, a third of Americans named big government as the greatest threat, 28 percent named big business and about a fifth named big labor.

The financial crisis has had some impact however. Gallup noted that in December 2006, 61 percent named big government as the greatest threat--6 points higher than today. In that same period, the portion who named big business as the biggest threat rose from 25 to 32 percent.

Democrats, as expected, are driving the small shift. In December 2006, 55 percent of Democrats named big government. Now only about a third name big government as the greatest threat. Meanwhile, the portion of Democrats who name big business as the greatest threat rose from 32 percent to 52 percent. That may portend pressure on Obama from his base.

By comparison, a majority of independents continue to agree with Republicans and name big government as the greater threat to the future of the United States.