Debt in a De-leveraged America -- PICTURES

Although economists fear that "de-leveraging" will prolong the downturn by reducing purchasing power and demand for goods and services, a commanding majority of Americans believe that personal and federal debt policies are central to current economic woes, according to the latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll. (MARIANNE ARMSHAW/AP)

The poll found that experiences with debt diverged substantially along lines of race, education, and income, but that attitudes toward debt converged. This suggests that the lessons taken from the downturn about spending and borrowing overlap to a great extent -- particularly when the discussion moves from broad principles to daily choices. (CAROLYN KASTER/AP)

The poll also suggests that debt remains more a chronic problem than an acute concern. While 8 percent believe they carry too much debt, one in four said their debt load increased in the past few years and almost half of the respondents called their debt "somewhat worrisome." (Thirty-one percent, however, said they reduced their debt and even more said it stayed the same.) (ED BAILEY/AP)

The poll numbers varied significantly across class and demographic lines. Only one in six earning more than $100,000 annually report adding debt in the downturn; approximately one in three who earn less than $30,000 have done so. Minorities were more likely than whites to say they have added debt, while whites with college degrees were less likely than those without to have borrowed more. (PAUL SAKUMA/AP)

Credit cards ranked as the most common form of debt for those polled (42 percent), followed by mortgages (38 percent), car loans (32 percent), unpaid medical expenses (22 percent), and student loans (21 percent). Mortgages represent the largest volume of debt owed (50 percent), followed distantly by student loans (14 percent). (MARK LENNIHAN/AP)

Still, 47 percent of those polled said that the downturn encouraged them "to pay off as much debt as possible or not take on any new debt, even if that meant cutting back on spending." And that's not weighed down by a specific group -- a plurality of respondents across the major racial, income, and educational lines all said that they want to reduce, not add, debt. (SETH PERLMAN/AP)