Kevin Drum at Mother Jones reports on the public perception regarding the deficit and points to a google poll to illustrate his point. The chart below shows the current results. 

Why do most people believe the deficit is increasing when we know it has been shrinking since 2011?  Kevin suggests that this is because people are too slow to change their opinion. 

I don't think that is the problem.  I think the problem is that people confuse deficits with the national debt, and the national debt is still growing because we actually still have large deficits.

Hat tip: Megan McArdle.