Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2000

“Trends in National Spending Priorities, 1973-2000” by Tom W. Smith, Director of the General Social Survey, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, shows that people have become increasingly interested in social issues and in contrast to priorities of the 1980s through the mid-1990s, much less worried about crime.

This report contains the first set of data from the 2000 General Social Survey, a widely followed study of American attitudes. The GSS differs from polls in that it asks a consistent set of questions over time and is thus able to determine profound shifts in opinion on a wide variety of issues. It is used by social scientists for research and policy leaders for decision making.

Ever since 1973, people have been asked where they would like to see the government spend more money. Researchers then establish a net spending score that is the difference between the percentage of people who say more should be spent on a problem and those who wish to spend less. Priorities with strong support have high positive scores and those with low support have large negative scores.

This year’s study shows the following:

• Spending on health tops the list. Health spending was in fourth place in 1994 with a score of +55, and has increased in importance since then and is now first at +69.
  
• Education, which led the list for much of the decade, has dropped to second place with a score of +66, still a strong showing.
  
• Social security has gained a great deal of support, moving from 10^th place in 1993 with a score of +38 to third place in 2000 with a score of +55.
  
• Spending money to halt crime, which was always the top priority from 1974 to 1988 and again at the top in 1993 and 1994, has dropped consistently since 1994 and moved from a score of +71 to its current level of +55, its lowest score ever.
  
• Spending on space (-28) and foreign aid (-50) continue to be the least popular.

Tom W. Smith is available for interviews and may be reached directly at (773) 256-6288. If you need assistance reaching him, call William Harms at the University of Chicago News Office, (773) 702-8356 or Julie Antelman at (773) 256-6312. The full report is available at http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/online/spend00.htm

Additional Contact: Julie Antelman, National Opinion Research Center (773) 256-6312