Government Spending & the Deficit

From Social Security to national parks, a look at long-range trends in federal outlays relative to the U.S. economy

Lower-income Republicans are somewhat more likely than higher-income Republicans to support the Affordable Care Act, and many say ensuring health care coverage for all is a government responsibility.

As the debate continues over repeal of the Affordable Care Act and what might replace it, a growing share of Americans believe that the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage.

Pew Research Center President Michael Dimock examines the changes – some profound, some subtle – that the U.S. experienced during Barack Obama’s presidency.

Survey Report As Barack Obama begins his final year in office, the goal of reducing the budget deficit, which the public once ranked among the most pressing objectives for his administration, has continued its recent decline in perceived importance. Overall, 56% say that reducing the budget deficit should be a top priority for the president […]

Social Security has developed into one of the most popular federal programs, though that popularity is tempered by concern over its long-term financial outlook.

Despite broadly similar views about the overall place of science in America, there are striking differences between the public and scientists’ views on a host of science-related issues, from whether genetically modified foods are safe to eat to whether the world’s growing population will be a major problem.

While the $467.5 billion deficit projection for fiscal 2015 is the lowest since 2007, the nonpartisan agency predicts higher deficits in the years to come. Meanwhile, the public’s concerns about reducing the deficit have varied over the past two decades, according to the Pew Research Center’s annual policy priorities surveys.