The long debate on the role of the government remains a central one in the Americas and in other regions. The 2008 Americas Barometer finds that the “average” citizen’s level of support for the government over the private sector as the primary actor job creation reaches 56.4 points and above, on a 0-100 scale, in every country in Latin America or the Caribbean, of those included in the Americas Barometer survey. Individuals from wealthier households significantly oppose a primary role of the government in job creation. On the other hand, the wealthier the country in per cápita terms, the larger the role envisioned for the government in job creation. There are important implications for the state’s public policies.