Monday, March 07, 2011
It’s not just House Republicans and Democratic President Barack Obama who don’t see eye-to-eye on spending priorities for the federal government. The American public has ideas that diverge from both political camps about what’s most important to spend (and not spend) tax dollars on, according to a study by the Program for Public Consultation, based at the University of Maryland.
After comparing the budget plans of Obama and House Republicans with responses from citizens, it was found that the public is willing to make deeper cuts in defense spending than either group of politicians. The public also is willing to slash money for intelligence, while the White House favors modest increases.
The public would prefer to double spending for energy conservation and renewable energy, while the GOP has called for cutting funds for these efforts. The House majority also wants a deep cut in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency. The public, meanwhile, wants a modest increase in spending on pollution control.
Funding for job training would double, if the public had its way. Obama prefers a small cut, and Republicans want to chop it in half.
On tax increases, the public supports raising income taxes on those making more than $100,000 annually. The GOP won’t stand for any tax hikes of any kind, while Obama prefers higher taxes for individuals making $250,000 and above.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Competing Budget Priorities: The Public, the House, the White House (Program for Public Consumption and Knowledge Networks) (pdf)
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