Aerospace Public Poll

Created for: Aerospace Industry Association

Interviewing:
Respondents:
Method:
Sample:
Weighting:
Sampling Error:

December 17, 2014

Presented by: Nielsen

November 13 16, 2014

818 registered voters
Telephone, Landline
Random digit dial
Results are weighted to be representative of registered voters.
+/-3 at 95% confidence

Q1.

Do you believe threats to American security raised by increased terrorist activity from ISIS/ISL, al Qaeda
and other groups in Syria and Iraq are increasing or decreasing?

Base
INCREASING (NET)
Increasing a lot
Increasing somewhat
DECREASING (NET)
Decreasing somewhat
Decreasing a lot
Dont Know/Refuse
Q2.

14%

How aware are you of recent reports of Chinas aggressive campaign to grow their military and develop
new technologies to support future military actions?

Base
AWARE (NET)
Very Aware
Somewhat Aware
NOT AWARE (NET)
Not Very Aware
Not At All Aware
Dont Know/Refuse
Q3.

Total
818
78%
41%
37%
8%
6%
2%

Total
818
65%
28%
37%
34%
17%
17%
1%

Knowing about the changes in the international security situation, do you believe America is more or less
secure than we were one year ago?

Base
MORE SECURE (NET)
Much More Secure
Somewhat More Secure
LESS SECURE (NET)
Somewhat Less Secure
Much Less Secure
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
31%
8%
23%
60%
30%
30%
9%

Q4.

For the following statements, please tell me if they make you think America is becoming more secure or
less secure:

SUMMARY OF MORE SECURE

Total
A wide range of top military officials have said publically that they will be
unable to fulfill their missions and protect the country unless these
spending caps are raised.
Sequestration levels would curt Service readiness funding by $16 billion.
It would also reduce the purchase of the F-35, our newest U.S. Air Force
fighter, force by an entire squadron.
Cuts proposed by the Obama Administration and Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel will reduce the number of soldiers in the U.S. Army from
520,00 to between 440,000 and 450,000 troops in the next few years
resulting in the smallest force size since 1940.
Future spending on Americas defense is currently limited by spending
caps imposed by Congress over three years ago, when the economy was
still in recession.
The military had planned budgets for the Department of Defense that
have now been cut by nearly $1 trillion over the 2012 2021 timeframe.
In the past three years, Americas total defense budget was reduced 10%.

21%

20%

19%

17%

17%

SUMMARY OF LESS SECURE

Total
Base
The military had planned budgets for the Department of Defense that
have now been cut by nearly $1 trillion over the 2012 2021 timeframe.
In the past three years, Americas total defense budget was reduced 10%.
Cuts proposed by the Obama Administration and Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel will reduce the number of soldiers in the U.S. Army from
520,00 to between 440,000 and 450,000 troops in the next few years
resulting in the smallest force size since 1940.
Future spending on Americas defense is currently limited by spending
caps imposed by Congress over three years ago, when the economy was
still in recession.
A wide range of top military officials have said publically that they will be
unable to fulfill their missions and protect the country unless these
spending caps are raised.
Sequestration levels would curt Service readiness funding by $16 billion.
It would also reduce the purchase of the F-35, our newest U.S. Air Force
fighter, force by an entire squadron.

73%

73%

72%

69%

67%

The military had planned budgets for the Department of Defense that have now been cut by nearly $1 trillion over
the 2012-2021 timeframe. In the past three years, America's total defense budget was reduced 10%.

Base
MORE SECURE (NET)
Much More Secure
Somewhat More Secure
LESS SECURE (NET)
Somewhat Less Secure
Much Less Secure
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
17%
6%
11%
73%
33%
41%
9%

Cuts proposed by the Obama Administration and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will reduce the number of
soldiers in the U.S. Army from 520,000 to between 440,000 and 450,000 troops in the next few years resulting in
the smallest force size since 1940.

Base
MORE SECURE (NET)
Much More Secure
Somewhat More Secure
LESS SECURE (NET)
Somewhat Less Secure
Much Less Secure
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
19%
8%
12%
73%
27%
46%
8%

Sequestration levels would cut Service readiness funding by $16 billion. It would also reduce the purchase of the F
35, our newest U.S. Air Force fighter, force by an entire squadron.

Base
MORE SECURE (NET)
Much More Secure
Somewhat More Secure
LESS SECURE (NET)
Somewhat Less Secure
Much Less Secure
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
20%
7%
13%
67%
35%
32%
13%

Future spending on Americas defense is currently limited by spending caps imposed by Congress over three years
ago, when the economy was still in recession.

Base
MORE SECURE (NET)
Much More Secure
Somewhat More Secure
LESS SECURE (NET)
Somewhat Less Secure
Much Less Secure
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
17%
6%
11%
72%
39%
33%
11%

A wide range of top military officials have said publicly that they will be unable to fulfill their missions and protect
the country unless these spending caps are raised.

Base
MORE SECURE (NET)
Much More Secure
Somewhat More Secure
LESS SECURE (NET)
Somewhat Less Secure
Much Less Secure
Dont Know/Refuse

Q5.

Total
818
21%
6%
15%
69%
37%
31%
10%

Given the evolving and increased threats to Americas security, do you believe the U.S. government
should increase spending on Americas national security, relative to the current caps set over three years
ago?

Base
Yes
No
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
69%
25%
65

Would you be more or less likely to support a candidate for public office who supports increased spending
on Americas national security?

Q6.

Base
MORE LIKELY (NET)
Much More Likely
Somewhat More Likely
LESS LIKELY (NET)
Somewhat Less Likely
Much Less Likely
Dont Know/Refuse

Q7.

Total
818
69%
39%
30%
24%
12%
12%
6%

Do you support raising the spending limits currently in place to allow Americas national security
budget to increase as needed to counter the current threat environment?

Base
Yes
No
Dont Know/Refuse

Total
818
70%
25%
5%

DEMOGRAPHICS
Gender
Base
Male
Female

Total
818
47%
53%

Base
18 24
25 34
35 49
50 - 64
65+

Total
818
3%
10%
24%
32%
28%

Age

Education
Base
HIGH SCHOOL OR LESS (NET)
Less than high school
High school graduate
ATTENDED COLLEGE OR COLLEGE DEGREE (NET)
Some college
Associates
College graduate
Post-graduate
Refused

Total
818
33%
4%
29%
53%
24%
7%
22%
12%
1%

Party

Base
REPUBLICAN (NET)
Strong Republican
Not-so-strong Republican
INDEPENDENT (NET)
Lean Republican
Lean Democrat
Do Not Lean Either Way
DEMOCRAT (NET)
Strong Democrat
Not-so-strong Democrat
Other

Total
818
33%
21%
11%
25%
9%
9%
6%
29%
16%
12%
9%

Ideology
Base
CONSERVATIVE (NET)
Very Conservative
Somewhat Conservative
Neither
LIBERAL (NET)
Somewhat Liberal
Very Liberal

Total
818
62%
23%
39%
4%
29%
20%
8%

Income
Base
Less than $5,000
$5,000 but less than $10,000
$10,000 but less than $15,000
$15,000 but less than $20,000
$20,000 but less than $25,000
$25,000 but less than $30,000
$30,000 but less than $35,000
$35,000 but less than $40,000
$40,000 but less than $50,000
$50,000 but less than $60,000
$60,000 but less than $75,000
$75,000 but less than $80,000
$80,000 but less than $100,000
$100,000 or more
Refused

Total
818
2%
2%
3%
3%
4%
4%
3%
5%
5%
8%
6%
3%
7%
20%
22%

Race/Ethnicity

Base
White
Black or African American
Hispanic
Native American or Alaskan Native
Asian or Pacific Islander
Some other race
Don't know/Refused

Total
818
77%
13%
8%
1%
1%
2%
5%

Are you, or is anyone in your household, a part of the U.S. military?

Base
Yes
No
Not Sure

Total
818
12%
88%
1%