[lbo-talk] voters have no idea...

[Carrol Cox]

These unsurprising descriptions of the terrain are interesting, but I'm not
sure what general significance they have. The same, I think, is true, of
descriptions of the outcomes of education in the U.S. or elsewhere. They are
mere description of terrain, interesting but not particularly meaningful in
themselves.

Carrol

-----Original Message-----
From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
On Behalf Of Doug Henwood
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 10:41 AM
To: lbo-talk
Subject: [lbo-talk] voters have no idea...

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/jan
uary_2011/voters_underestimate_how_much_u_s_spends_on_defense

 or
http://liten.be//zswPj

Voters Underestimate How Much U.S. Spends on Defense
Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Voters are fairly evenly divided as to whether the federal government spends
too much or too little on national defense, but most also appear to
dramatically underestimate how much is actually spent.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 27% of
Likely Voters say the United States does not spend enough money on the
military and national security. Thirty-two percent (32%) say America spends
too much on defense, while a plurality (37%) thinks the nation spends about
the right amount. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

But only 25% of voters believe the United States should always spend at
least three times as much on defense as any other nation. Forty percent
(40%) do not think the country needs to spend this much, while 35% are not
sure. Interestingly, if the government were to actually spend only three
times as much as any other nation, it would imply a significant cut in U.S.
defense spending.

For fiscal year 2011, the total budget for defense is estimated to be around
$719 billion. That does not include the cost of veterans' care, which totals
another $124 billion. By comparison, no other nation in the world spends
more than $110 billion on defense. Earlier polling showed that just 58%
recognize that the United States spends more on defense than any other
nation in the world.

Underlying voters' opinions on how much the United States spends on defense
is the fact that many don't know where most of the government's money
already goes. Just 40% can correctly identify that most federal spending
goes towards national defense, Social Security and Medicare. Roughly the
same number (38%) believes this statement to be false, while another 22% are
not sure.

...
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