[PDF] When presented most of the major items in the discretionary federal budget and given the opportunity to modify it, Americans make some dramatic changes. The largest cut by far is to defense spending, which is reduced by nearly one-third, followed by spending on Iraq and Afghanistan, transportation and justice. The largest increases are to reductions in the deficit, various forms of social spending and spending on the environment.
...Modest support for increasing economic and humanitarian aid appears to be greatly influenced by the fact that most respondents did not believe that the amount presented in the budget exercise was the full amount. Asked to estimate the actual amount, respondents gave estimates far in excess of the presented amount, and also proposed an amount much higher than the presented amount. Among the small minority whose estimates of spending on economic and humanitarian aid even roughly approached the actual amount, two thirds favored increasing it.
In addition to favoring cutting spending to reduce the deficit, a large majority favors rolling back the recent tax cuts for people with high incomes. A plurality also opposes making the tax cuts permanent. Among the two-thirds that perceive the US has a large deficit, support for reducing the deficit is significantly higher on all measures than it is among those who believe there is no deficit, or that it is small.
Perceptions of Budgetary Trends A majority is aware that the Administration’s proposed budget increases spending on defense. There is not majority awareness that the proposed budget cuts spending on education and the environment, though nearly half of Democrats are aware of this.
Report of Findings
Questionnaire
Press Release
No comments:
Post a Comment