Cuts? What Cuts?

Despite all the hyperbole about the need to cut government spending, fewer Americans are in the mood for budget cuts today than in 1980--with one exception.

According to a Harris survey, fewer Americans today than in 1980 favor cuts in government spending on a variety of programs including foreign aid, business subsidies, welfare, food stamps, housing programs, farm subsidies, scientific research, mass transit, pollution control, aid to cities, job training, highway financing, revenue sharing, health care, education, Social Security, and even space programs.

But, a growing share of the public wants to cut defense spending. Forty-six percent of the public wants to cut spending on defense, up substantially from the 34 percent of 1980.

Source: Harris Interactive, Sequester and Automatic Spending Cuts are Days Away but Majorities of Americans Oppose Cuts in Many Big Ticket Items