If the public thinks that the government should “do more to solve problems and help meet the needs of people,” the Democratic message should resonate. If Americans think that the government is doing “too many things better left to businesses and individuals,” the GOP message should carry the day. And that’s how it has usually worked. The “role of government” question in the April 17-20 NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey included previous responses to that question going back to 1997. It showed that in June 2020 an unusually large 57 percent of registered voters thought government should do more, while only 38 percent agreed that the government is doing too many things. Historically, that’s a huge gap. The responses to that question suggested voters were ready for a more activist government, which is what Democrats offered in 2020.