Poll: Americans Split on What to Cut from Government

CBS News Poll analysis by the CBS News Polling Unit: Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus and Anthony Salvanto.

CBS

A new CBS News poll finds that Americans strongly prefer cutting spending to raising taxes to reduce the federal deficit. While 77 percent prefer to cut spending, just nine percent call for raising taxes. Another nine percent want to do both.

Yet most Americans could not volunteer a program they'd be willing to see cut in order to reduce the deficit - only 38 percent could name a program they would support cutting. The top responses were military/defense (six percent), Social Security/Medicare (four percent) and welfare/food stamps (four percent).

However, Americans are more willing to consider cuts when presented with specific ideas, as the chart above illustrates. The most popular ideas for reducing the deficit are to reduce Social Security benefits for the wealthy, reduce the money allocated to projects in their own community, reduce farm subsidies and reduce defense spending. More than 50 percent supported reductions in each of those programs.

CBS

Democrats and independents were more likely to favor cuts to defense spending than Republicans, only 39 percent of whom favored cuts there to reduce the deficit. Republicans were most likely to favor reducing money for projects in their area (73 percent), reducing social security for the wealthy (66 percent), reducing farm subsidies (58 percent) and reducing money for student loans (54 percent.)

Democrats were most likely to support reducing social security for the wealthy (60 percent), reducing defense spending (58 percent) and reducing farm subsidies (55 percent).

Forty-seven percent say it will be necessary to cut programs that benefit people like them to reduce the deficit. Forty-one percent say it can be reduced without cutting programs that benefit them.

Seventy-two percent say that deficits can be acceptable in emergency situations and when kept manageable. Eighteen percent say deficits are never acceptable, while seven percent say the government should run whatever deficits are necessary.

Most Americans do not know exactly how the government spends its money. For example, when asked what percent of the budget goes to earmarks, 41 percent said they make up less than 20 percent of the budget, 13 percent said 20-50 percent, 4 percent said more than 50 percent and 42 percent didn't know. Earmarks actually make up less than one percent of the budget.

Read the Complete Poll (PDF)

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This poll was conducted among a random sample of 1,178 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone January 5 - 9, 2010. Phone numbers were dialed from RDD samples of both standard land-lines and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

[crazyname]

Polls from news media outlets and liberals are useless and they get the answers they are looking for.

[jxknowles]

Polling people about budgets is inane. Not only do you have to cut spending, raise taxes and reduce benefits, it's imperative that you cut costs. We have too many expenses at the Federal and State levels that artificially high due to subsidizing businesses (drug companies) in the U.S. These companies can't compete Internationally because of their pricing. It's a myth that people come to the U.S. for Healthcare. Outside of a handful of wealthy snobs, people get better and cheaper healthcare elsewhere.

[antoniof123]

If they concentrate on the top ones that most people are in favor of then we really could cut governemnt spending.

But then again it isn't going to happen.

[glidescube]

1 Reduce size of the military by 2/3rds. Our military is bigger than the next 12 national militaries combined.

2 End corporate tax breaks. All non private citizen entities that are in business for profit must bay a 30% tax on all revenues. Period.

3) End all tax breaks for everyone. Income tax for everyone regardless on how much they make will be based on 5% for amounts less than 120,000 per year and 20% for amounts greater. Write-offs and no deductions will no longer be allowed.

4) Spinoff Medicare as an NPO pseudo private medical provider. Just like you have the Postal Service and UPS and Fed ex. We will have Kaiser or Blue cross/shield or medicare for those that can't afford the private brands.

5) OUTSOURCE the entire Federal government. No more government unions. With the exception of the courts and law enforcement and national defense, all agencies will be outsourced on a needed basis.

6) Impose an import tax on all goods and a national sales tax on all goods and services.

7) Social security: EVERYONE will pay 4% of what they gross into the system and it will be ONLY for retirement at age 67. Again , social security will be for retirement only. you will have to pay into the
program for 80 quarters (20years) before you can collect a single cent. The program benefits citizens only at age 67.

8) unemployment/ welfare/ food stamps/ general welfare : Every citizen man, woman and child shall be entitled to no more and no less than 7 years of assistance through out their lives. If a citizen goes through life without ever touching a single cent of this account, they shall have the entire amount plus interest paid out to them at retirement as long as they don't have a criminal record. If any money from this account has been used then at retirement the citizen shall receive the 2/3 of their balance with no interest at retirement. Payment at retirement shall be one lump sum and free of any taxes.

[mchoward21]

Explain point #1...If Im not mistaken both Russia and China have larger armies than us. In terms of spending we are first but in manpower I think we're 3rd. Taking our military down 2/3 would drop us to somewhere between 800-900k (that includes reserve and guard units) which is horribly undersized for a country of 300+ million.

[greco99-2009]

In truth, there is little real threat of a military invasion of the US. Most, if not all, military actions are projects like Iraq and Vietnam - proxy wars that enrich a few corporations and do nothing for American people (except probably causing harm to the American people by creating enemies). Cutting military corruption would be a great start, such as cutting off funds to military contractors that engage in fraud and crime.

[WELOC]

The US must end the "MARKET" economy. Markets cannot predict yet the CONservatives want you to continue this "Welfare for the Rich" program. Fact: 80% of all income over the last 10 years went to the top 10%. Fact: It is this 1% that has convinced you the drastically needed Health Care Reform Act is not going to work.
It will and the middle class will be served well by it. The savings come from eliminated that grossly out of porportion profits going to the top 5%. THAT IS ALL THAT IS WRONG WITH IT! WALKE UP. Read "Free Lunch. It's fun and will amaze you with what you didn't know.
Are you aware you pay twice as much and get 9th ranked health care?
It's true. There's much more to this than blaming those that are attempting to support the middle class. Hint: It isn't the CONservatives!

[semimike]

I would support ALL of the recommendations of the advisory team that were presented to the Congress. Every group suffers a little. Beyond that, I would re-do the tax code over next 2 years, and get back to the pre-Bush tax basis, which created much of the debt over and above what the Reagan tax cuts caused. Forcing hospitals to pay for uninsured is a problem that the new Health Care system would fix...by private insurers. That is good idea, and is not socialistic at all, even the health care industries agrees.

[noloyalisti]

I guess stopping the Bush murder and genocide campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan that has cost us $3 trillion was not part of the survey.

[greco99-2009]

Under Clinton there were budget surpluses - Bush did more to destroy the US economy and harm Americans than any other person in history. He should face a variety of criminal charges - fraud, kickbacks, perjury, and as was clearly set out in noted prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi's book entitled 'The Prosecution of George Bush For Murder' - Bush should also face murder charges for the thousands of Americans killed by what appear to be deliberate and self-serving lies..

[noloyalisti]

We must tax the wealthiest Americans. They can afford it and did not earn it. They made all their money off of the backs of us. And their use of our schools, streets, libraries, etc. Time for them to pay some back!!!!!

[mchoward21]

I don't think its fair to say they didn't earn their money.

[greco99-2009]

Fair to say that those mega wealthy Americans who inherit money or profit from 'capital gains' did not earn it. It is ridiculous that people who earn an income pay high income tax, but those who earn dividends, inherit wealth, or make money through capital gains pay little or no tax.

[jbright9]

It doesn't look like we are wiling to cut much but don't want to pay for it. Letting the very wealthy off then hook in paying their fair share of taxes is a huge mistake.

[greenlantern1]

Dear Sirs
After he ran the budget for the US, David Stockman ran the budget for his company.
Needless to say, it went bankrupt.
Remember Kenny Lay?
Remember ENRON?
Remember Bernard Madoff?
Why doesn't any state want their fiscal advice?
Are we able to govern ourselves or not?
Clifford Spencer

[noloyalisti]

Giant corporations may be the most inefficient, wasteful, money grubbing organizations ever created. Anyone who has worked for one knows what I mean. And people complain about the GOVERNMENT?!