More on a theme I’ve been writing about regularly. While Americans say that they want to cut government spending generally, Americans — by considerable margins — oppose cuts to specific programs.
From the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, As Sequester Deadline Looms, Little Support for Cutting Most Programs:
For 18 of 19 programs tested, majorities want either to increase spending or maintain it at current levels. The only exception is assistance for needy people around the world. Nonetheless, as many say that funding for aid to the needy overseas should either be increased (21%), or kept the same (28%), as decreased (48%).
The survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Feb. 13-18, 2013 among 1,504 adults, finds little change in attitudes about government spending since 2011. One notable exception: somewhat fewer support reducing military defense spending, which would bear a major share of the sequester cuts.
There are some partisan differences, with Republicans much more in favor of cutting spending, but only in two areas — aid to the world’s needy and unemployment assistance — do more than 50 percent of Republicans favor cuts. Only 17 percent of Republicans favor cuts in Social Security, while 35 percent want increased spending.
There’s a partisan breakdown at Pew, but here’s the summary of all respondents:
