TY - JOUR PY - 1993// TI - Public opinion: A powerful predictor of U.S. defense spending JO - Defence economics A1 - Higgs, Robert A1 - Kilduff, Anthony SP - 227 EP - 238 VL - 4 IS - 3 N2 - Public opinion survey responses regarding the desirability of changes in defense spending can be compressed into a single variable, the public opinion balance, which, when accompanied by a control variable measuring the proportion of responses in the “residuum” (no opinion or keep the status quo), permits an accurate prediction of subsequent changes in the rate of change of U.S. defense outlays from the mid-1960s through the 1980s. This finding cannot be interpreted as a simple case of “the public got what it wanted,” however, because public opinion was not autonomous or spontaneous, and defense decision makers themselves played a central role in shaping public opinion.

LA - SN - 1043-0717 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10430719308404762 ID - ref1 ER -