which are more popular with citizens, contractionary or expansionary government actions, and why?

Expansionary government actions are typically more popular with citizens due to the fact that they can often result in higher economic growth. Expansionary measures include things such as increasing government spending, cutting taxes, and reducing interest rates. These actions can have an immediate stimulatory effect on the economy, leading to increased employment, wages, and consumer spending. This makes them generally more popular with citizens, especially when times are tough.

It depends on the context. Expansionary government actions (which involve lowering taxes, increasing government spending, and/or reducing interest rates) are generally more popular with citizens because they tend to result in short-term economic benefits such as increased jobs, higher wages, and reduced prices. On the other hand, contractionary government actions (which involve raising taxes, decreasing government spending, and/or increasing interest rates) are generally less popular with citizens because they tend to result in short-term economic setbacks such as decreased jobs, lower wages, and higher prices. However, over the long-term, contractionary policies are often necessary to curb inflation and protect against economic bubbles or recessions.