{"id":10751,"date":"2019-02-20T13:31:03","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T18:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/fewer-americans-view-deficit-reduction-as-a-top-priority-as-the-nations-red-ink-increases\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:12:33","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:12:33","slug":"fewer-americans-view-deficit-reduction-as-a-top-priority-as-the-nations-red-ink-increases","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/02\/20\/fewer-americans-view-deficit-reduction-as-a-top-priority-as-the-nations-red-ink-increases\/","title":{"rendered":"Fewer Americans view deficit reduction as a top priority as the nation\u2019s red ink increases"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Public<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

The nation\u2019s growing budget deficit has\u00a0prompted<\/span><\/span>\u00a0little alarm among the U.S. public. In fact, the share of Americans who\u00a0<\/span><\/span>say<\/span><\/span>\u00a0reducing the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>budget\u00a0<\/span><\/span>deficit\u00a0<\/span><\/span>should be<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a top policy priority is much lower than it was during most of Barack Obama\u2019s presidency.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

In a\u00a0Pew Research Center survey<\/a>\u00a0conducted\u00a0in January, about half of Americans (48%) said\u00a0reducing the budget deficit\u00a0should be a top policy priority this year for the president and Congress. That was unchanged from 2018, but 24 percentage points lower than\u00a0in 2013, at the start of Obama\u2019s second term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

In this year\u2019s survey, deficit reduction ranked well\u00a0behind\u00a0strengthening\u00a0the economy (70% said this was a top\u00a0priority), reducing health care costs (69%), improving the educational system (68%) and several other\u00a0policy priorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Office of Management and Budget projects the\u00a0federal government\u00a0will\u00a0run\u00a0a\u00a0deficit\u00a0of $984 billion\u00a0in\u00a0the current fiscal year.\u00a0That would be the highest\u00a0in seven years and more than\u00a0double the deficit in\u00a0fiscal\u00a02015\u00a0($438\u00a0billion).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Annual budget deficits surpassed $1 trillion from 2009 through 2012, and\u00a0the share of Americans viewing deficit reduction as a top policy priority surged during\u00a0this period. As annual deficits declined, so did concern about the deficit. But the rise in deficits more recently\u00a0has not been accompanied by an increase in public concern.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Deficit<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Since 2013, deficit reduction has fallen as a top priority among both Republicans and Democrats.\u00a0Today, 54% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents and 44% of Democrats and Democratic\u00a0leaners\u00a0say reducing the deficit should be a top priority for\u00a0President Donald\u00a0Trump and Congress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Six years ago,\u00a0about eight-in-ten Republicans (81%) said reducing the deficit should be a top priority\u00a0and\u00a0about two-thirds of Democrats (65%) agreed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

About half of Americans say\u00a0reducing the budget deficit\u00a0should be a top policy priority this year for the president and Congress. 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