Is the US government spending too much, too little, or about the right amount on its defense budget?

👎 Too much (57%) – "It's hard to go from world police (or in some cases, playground bully) to shying away from the limelight. But if you can't account for half of your assets, maybe you need half the budget you currently have so that you don't waste the taxpayer's dollar."

• "If we can't account for all our assets, we're spending too much. If we're funding any foreign wars, esp those where we don't have troops on the ground, we're spending too much. We need fiscal accountability and we need to stay out of other countries' conflicts."

"We are spending far too much on international matters which don't directly involve us. Additionally, our military budget does not need to be that high! We are not actively at war. I'm perplexed why this money is not benefitting the neediest Americans instead ( foster care, low-income community infrastructure, better education, homelessness, etc.)"

• "Too much. I might be ok with it if the government could take care of veterans after they've served, but it seems to only go towards proxy wars and in the pockets of the weapons manufacturers."

"The infamous tale of the overpriced toilet, or the wrench worth thousands still hover in my mind. There is too much money flowing through the Defense Dept without much oversight. I don't mean too much money is going to soldiers, their supplies or their needed equipment. With that money, I think there should be a much better way of oversight of the sub-contractors, invoices and expenditures.

👍 Too little (20%) – "We need to spend less on social programs that do not protect our citizens from foreign and domestic sources, less on spying on our own people, less on suppressing our constitutional rights, and more on things that keep us in the position of the peaceful giant. Deterrence through strength and preparednes."

• "China is pulling away in military investment since they control the suppliers. They do not have to deal with companies making great profits from the production of military equipment. We get caught up in cost overruns and tardy deliveries."

👌 About the right amount (23%) – "Until there is more certainty in the world, we stand as a defender of democracy in an otherwise fascist and authoritarian world. We can't do that unless our military serves as a deterrent. I don't like it, and that's the way the world is right now."

• "I feel like the amount is probably correct. However I feel like aid to Ukraine and Israel should not be anywhere near where it is. That needs to be cut."