April 24, 2017

How Republicans and Democrats View Federal Spending

If you were making up the budget for the federal government this year, would you increase spending, decrease spending or keep spending the same for …

		Republican/Lean Republican				Democrat/Lean Democrat
		2009¹	2011	2013	2017	2009	2011	2013	2017
		%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Health care	Increase spending	43	19	17	28	80	54	53	71
	Decrease spending	15	47	41	35	2	10	9	4
	Keep spending the same	34	30	36	33	15	33	34	24
	Don't know (VOL.)	7	5	6	4	2	3	4	1

Anti-terrorism defenses in the U.S.	Increase spending	50	35	33	61	30	31	33	33
	Decrease spending	5	18	15	7	17	22	21	15
	Keep spending the same	39	45	49	30	44	45	44	51
	Don't know (VOL.)	6	2	3	1	9	3	2	1

Veterans benefits and services	Increase spending	59	49	53	70	66	54	53	78
	Decrease spending	2	7	7	6	3	6	6	1
	Keep spending the same	31	43	39	22	28	39	38	20
	Don't know (VOL.)	8	2	2	2	3	1	3	1

The State Department and American embassies	Increase spending	8		17	10	10		13	20
	Decrease spending	37		39	29	27		27	17
	Keep spending the same	47		40	57	50		55	59
	Don't know (VOL.)	8		4	5	13		6	4

Social Security	Increase spending		33	34	36		46	45	53
	Decrease spending		19	17	10		7	6	3
	Keep spending the same		45	47	50		44	47	42
	Don't know (VOL.)		3	3	4		2	3	2

Rebuilding highways, bridges and roads	Increase spending		30	33	55		45	44	61
	Decrease spending		28	18	7		17	14	7
	Keep spending the same		40	47	36		36	41	31
	Don't know (VOL.)		2	1	1		2	1	1

Economic assistance to needy people in the U.S.	Increase spending		24	13	26		54	37	63
	Decrease spending		34	44	37		12	12	6
	Keep spending the same		37	38	35		33	48	30
	Don't know (VOL.)		5	5	2		1	3	1

Scientific research	Increase spending	25	28	25	33	51	44	46	60
	Decrease spending	21	32	30	20	8	14	14	6
	Keep spending the same	46	37	43	45	39	39	38	33
	Don't know (VOL.)	8	3	3	2	3	4	2	1

Military defense	Increase spending	54	36	44	71	29	28	22	31
	Decrease spending	10	23	14	8	23	37	34	27
	Keep spending the same	32	40	41	20	41	33	40	41
	Don't know (VOL.)	5	1	0	1	7	2	3	1

Government assistance for the unemployed	Increase spending	30	12	9	13	59	44	36	41
	Decrease spending	26	46	53	44	6	12	16	10
	Keep spending the same	38	40	37	40	30	39	45	48
	Don't know (VOL.)	5	2	1	2	5	4	3	1

Medicare	Increase spending	37	29	24	35	67	50	45	61
	Decrease spending	10	20	19	15	5	5	10	5
	Keep spending the same	48	48	54	50	26	40	43	33
	Don't know (VOL.)	4	4	2	0	3	5	1	1

Environmental protection	Increase spending	23	21	11	23	59	50	51	61
	Decrease spending	29	43	41	38	8	12	9	6
	Keep spending the same	44	34	47	38	28	37	37	33
	Don't know (VOL.)	4	2	1	1	4	2	3	1

Economic assistance to needy people around the world	Increase spending	14	12	7	13	35	29	30	41
	Decrease spending	40	65	70	56	24	28	32	13
	Keep spending the same	39	21	22	29	36	39	34	45
	Don't know (VOL.)	6	3	1	2	5	4	3	2

Education	Increase spending	53	47	45	52	81	78	72	78
	Decrease spending	10	17	16	15	3	5	6	4
	Keep spending the same	33	34	38	32	14	17	22	17
	Don't know (VOL.)	4	2	1	1	2	1	1	1

Pew Research Center

Data for 2009 is based on partisans without leaners. ↩

How Republicans and Democrats View Federal Spending

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