March 03, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More adults in the United States are questioning their national defence budget, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 43 per cent of respondents think the U.S. spends too much on military purposes, up nine points in a year.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More adults in the United States are questioning their national defence budget, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 43 per cent of respondents think the U.S. spends too much on military purposes, up nine points in a year.

Conversely, 20 per cent of respondents say the country invests too little in national defence, while 35 per cent think it spends the right amount.

On Feb. 5, U.S. president George W. Bush presented the federal budget for the 2008 fiscal year. The spending plan seeks $624.6 billion U.S. for defence, including $141.7 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

On Mar. 1, U.S. defence secretary Robert Gates urged lawmakers to approve Bush's $93.4 billion U.S. request for Pentagon spending, saying, "If these additional funds are delayed, the military will be forced to engage in costly and counterproductive reprogramming actions starting this spring, in April, to make up the shortfall. Timely enactment of this supplemental request is critical to ensuring our troops in the field have the resources they need."

Polling Data

There is much discussion as to the amount of money the government in Washington should spend for national defence and military purposes. How do you feel about this? Do you think we are spending too little, about the right amount, or too much?

	2007	2006	2005	2004
Too little	20%	25%	30%	22%
About right	35%	40%	38%	45%
Too much	43%	32%	30%	31%

Source: Gallup / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,007 American adults, conducted from Feb. 1 to Feb. 4, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.