| 5. Question: I am going to read how much the federal government spends on various items and ask you whether you would cut it, increase it, or keep it the same. I'll read the largest ones first and give you some idea of how rapidly they've been growing…(if respondent wants to cut or increase, ask:) By how many billions of dollars? (If respondent will not give an amount in billions of dollars, CATI accepts either numeric or percent response, converting percent answers to numeric answers for the respondent. If respondent cannot give an amount, they are asked if they would like to increase/cut a little or a lot)… Next biggest is national defense, which is 280 billion dollars, or 20% of all government spending. Defense spending has tripled in 15 years, but leveled off for the last two years. | |
|
63 |
|
4 |
|
33 |
|
-47 billion (-17%) |
|
Survey Organization: Steeper
and Lake / ATIF Sample Size: 1000 Date: December 1991 |
|
| Question: Here's a different kind of question. On this card is a description of 13 top spending areas of the federal budget. Next to each spending area you will see coins representing the amount of money spent in that area. Suppose it was your decision as to how to cut the federal budget, and you had to take five coins away. 'X' out five coins on this card. You can take these coins from any one or more of the areas as long as the total adds to five. Now, take five more coins away....National defense (27 coins) | |
|
2.4 |
| Survey Organization: Gallup Organization Sample Size: 2048
Date: MAR 1989 |
|
| Question: As you know, Congress debates a budget each year. I'm going to ask you to make a budget for twelve major areas. These include [12 areas]. For these twelve areas, the US spends about $400 billion, which comes out to approximately $600 for the average taxpayer. I'd like you to imagine that you have $600 of your tax money to divide among these twelve areas. For each area, I'll tell you how much of the $600 currently goes to that area and then ask you how many dollars you would like to see go to that area. If at the end you have dollars left over, you can go back and assign them to an area or use them for reducing the deficit. OK, let's begin…The (first/next) area is the defense budget, or military spending. Currently, about $396 goes to this. How much would you like to give? | |
|
$231.70 (-42%) |
| Survey Organization: COPA Sample Size: 610 Date: September 1996 | |