Survey: 76 per cent of Americans support defense spending cuts

 The Air Force Times reports on a survey of 665 Americans on defense spending. The survey was conducted by the Program for Public Consultation, the Stimson Center, and the Center for Public Integrity.
   While a majority do not support cutting pay raises, they do want to raise some health cost related fees and even cut military retirement benefits. While Republican politicians often oppose defense spending cuts their base may not actually share that view.
   Democrats are more in favor of cuts than Republicans but more than two thirds of those in Republican congressional districts supported cuts. Those in Republican districts supported a cut of 15 per cent on average while Democratic districts supported on average a much larger 28 per cent cut.
   Americans both in Republican and Democratic districts believe that there is waste in the defense budget. Eighty per cent polled in Republican districts and eighty six per cent in Democrat districts held this view. On this issue there is obviously bipartisan support among Americans if not politicians. Only 15 per cent in Republican districts want the defense budget increased and a mere 4 per cent in Democratic districts. For much more see this article.

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