Appendix B: Questionnaire

Sample Size:                 721 Respondents

Date:                            July 14-26, 2000

Margin of Error:            +/- 3.7%

As you may know, Congress debates a budget each year.  In this survey, you will make up a budget for twelve major areas. These include Space and Science Research, Environment, Job Training, Defense, Humanitarian and Economic Aid to foreign countries, Education, Military Aid, Transportation, the State Department, the UN and UN peacekeeping, Federal Administration of Justice and Medical Research. We’re not including some big entitlement programs like Medicare or Social Security.

For these twelve areas, plus debt reduction, the US spends about $460 billion, which comes out to approximately $1,000 for the average taxpayer. I’d like you to imagine that you have $1,000 of your tax money to divide among these twelve areas. For each area, you’ll see how much of the $1,000 currently goes to that area, and then you can indicate how many dollars you’d like to see go to that area. You’ll be able to monitor how much of the $1,000 you have left as you make decisions. 

Screen Two

As you may know, the federal government is also currently running a budget surplus, which is not included in the $1,000 you’ll have to distribute. After you have made decisions about these twelve areas, you will then have a chance to decide what to do with the surplus.

Screen Three

Please use the grid below to distribute funds among the listed budget areas [see next page]. The areas are listed in the first column, the amount currently spent on those areas is in the second column, and the amount you would like to see spent you will enter into the third column. If you scroll down to the bottom of the screen, you will be able to see how much money you have left. [budget items presented in random order]

Screen Four

Now I would like you to consider what you want to do with the budget surplus. As you may know, this year the federal government received in taxes approximately $224 billion more than it spent. This is equal to about $486 for the average taxpayer. Of this money, $325 is actually money that is from payroll taxes and is meant for Social Security; another $52 is from payroll taxes meant for Medicare; while $109 is from all other federal taxes, mostly income taxes, and is meant for general spending. 

Screen Five

First, I would like to know what you would like to do with the surplus that comes mostly from income taxes. Again, imagine that you have $109. In the box below is a list of possible ways that this money can be used. Please indicate how much you would like to go to each item. You can put all the money into one item or divide it among them any way you choose.

Screen Six [If chose “increase spending” in screen five]

You have chosen to increase spending on some or all the items in the budget. You have $x to spend. [x = amount entered in “Increase spending…” box on screen five.] Using the box below, please fill in the additional amount you want to spend on each item, if any. [See next page]

Screen Seven

Now I would like to know what you would like to do with the $325 surplus from payroll taxes for Social Security. It is important to remember that around the year 2018 there will no longer be a Social Security surplus. Because the government has borrowed money from the Social Security Trust Fund for other programs over the years, the government will then need to come up with money to pay back the Trust Fund so that it can make benefit payments. 

So there are two questions that need to be answered. First is, “What should the government do with the surplus now?” And second, “What should the government do so as to repay money the Social Security Fund will need for benefits starting around 2018?”

Screen Eight

First, let’s look at some of the options for what the government should do with the $325 Social Security surplus now. Using the box below, indicate how much you would like to go to each item. You can divide the money among paying down the debt, cutting taxes, or increasing spending any way you choose; however, if you decide to create retirement accounts, you must put all the money toward this option, because this is the only way to make such a system financially viable

Screen Nine [if chose retirement accounts in screen eight]

Here are some other positions on the subject of retirement accounts. 

·        Those who oppose retirement accounts argue that it is risky to let people put the money in the stock market, and that if the money is put into retirement accounts it will not be available for paying benefits, thus the government will have to come up with other money much sooner than 2018, probably around 2007. 

·        Those who favor retirement accounts point out that while the government may need to come up with more money in the short run, in the long run the retirement accounts will produce such high returns that total benefits will be greater and at a lower cost. 

Having read these arguments, what would you like to do?

Screen Ten [if chose retirement accounts in screens eight and nine]

As you know in the year 2018 the Federal Government will have to start paying back the money it borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund.  Below are some options for how the government can raise this money. Please indicate what percentage of the money you would like to see raised from each of the options below.

Screen Eleven [if did not choose retirement accounts in screen eight or nine]

As noted earlier, setting up retirement accounts will make it necessary for the government to start paying money back to the Social Security Trust Fund in about the year 2007. This is because surplus money that would otherwise be going into the trust fund will be used to help establish retirement accounts. Below are some options for how the government can raise this money.  Please indicate what percentage of the money you would like to see raised from each of the options below.

Screen Twelve

Thank you for participating in this budget game. If you are satisfied with your decisions, you select “Continue” and you will get two last short questions. You also have the option of going back to review your decisions, starting at the beginning (all of your previous answers will be saved). Please select from the menu below.

Screen Thirteen

Did you find this survey…

Screen Fourteen

Did you find this survey…

Demographics

Q. What is the highest degree or level of education that you have completed?

Q. Are you of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino descent?

Q. What is your race?

Q. What is your current marital status?

Q. What is your current work status?

Q. What is your date of birth? (age calculated)

Q. Was your total household income in 1999 less than $35,000, or $35,000 or more, before taxes? We would like to get a more accurate estimate of your total household income in 1999 before taxes. Was it ... (collapsed categories)

Q. Are you currently registered to vote?

Q. What are your chances of voting in the election for President this year?

Q. Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a ...

Q. Thinking of your ideas about “liberal” and “conservative,” please place yourself on the following scale:

Foreign Aid Addendum

Sample Size:                 577 respondents who participated in budget survey

Date:                            July 28 – August 6, 2000

Margin of Error:            +/- 4%

Q1. Just based on what you know, please tell me your hunch about what percentage of the total federal budget goes to humanitarian and economic foreign aid. You can answer in fractions of percentage points as well as whole percentage points.

Q2. What do you think would be an appropriate percentage of the total federal budget to go to humanitarian and economic foreign aid, if any?

Q3. The amount you gave would be equivalent to about [Q2 answer multiplied by 35] dollars per year for the average taxpayer. Does that sound like an appropriate amount to you?

[If said “no” in Q3]

Q4. What would be an appropriate amount?