30 Years of Americans’ Spending Priorities
The General Social Survey interactive visualization shows Americans’ views on various categories of government spending and how those opinions have changed over time.
Hover over the catagory to see changes over time.
The General Social Survey interactive visualization shows Americans’ views on various categories of government spending and how those opinions have changed over time.
The General Social Survey (GSS), one of the most influential studies in the social sciences, has gathered data on contemporary American society to monitor and explain Americans’ attitudes, behaviors, and traits since 1972. Each GSS asks Americans whether the government spends too much, too little, or about the right amount on various priorities.
Released to the public in the spring 2019, the 2018 survey data have been analyzed by scholars, policymakers, instructors, and students, an undertaking made easier by the GSS Data Explorer. The Data Explorer is a web-based tool that explores results for the more than 6,000 questions that have been asked on the GSS since its inception. One of its features allows the public to quickly analyze some of the key trends in attitudes observed by the GSS.
This visualization was created by NORC’s VizStudio, a creative community of experts who turn complex data into compelling visual stories.