The changing terrain: The presidential election
Defense spending, sequestration and government retirement benefits are key pay and benefit issues that may significantly influence the votes of America’s career military in the upcoming presidential election.
The First Command Financial Behaviors Index® reveals that 85 percent of middle-class military families (senior NCOs and commissioned officers in pay grades E-5 and above with household incomes of at least $50,000) say military retirement and other benefits are an extremely or very important issue in choosing who they will vote for in November. This compares to just 48 percent of the general population of middle-class families.
Following close behind are two related financial matters – defense spending and sequestration. Among military voters, 81 percent selected defense spending and 74 percent picked sequestration as extremely or very important election issues. In contrast, civilian voters picked these issues at a rate of 58 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
The gaps between military and civilian voters on these issues underscore the continuing financial uncertainty and concern being experienced by America’s career service member families. Defense spending, sequestration and the new military retirement are uniquely personal issues for those who have made the military their career.
Sequestration is an ongoing concern in America’s career military. The Index reveals that sequester cuts are identified as an extremely or very important election issue by about the same percentage of military voters who picked it during the 2012 presidential campaign. Sequestration was identified as a key issue by approximately half of general population voters in 2012, which is about the same as this year. The Index reveals that three out of four career military families feel anxious about sequestration and only half believe Congress will void sequestration before the full return to these automatic budget cuts in 2018
Critical money-related election issues identified by both military and general population voters include:
- Social Security. This election issue was identified as extremely or very important by about three quarters of respondents (78 percent of military families and 74 percent of their civilian counterparts).
- Cost of healthcare. This issue was also selected by about the same percentage of military and civilian voters (82 percent and 81 percent). It was also the top issue identified by general population survey respondents.
- Private sector jobs (72 percent versus 62 percent).
First Command is surveying consumers on their presidential voting intentions as part of its ongoing research into how defense downsizing and changes to military pay and benefits are affecting the financial lives of middle-class military families. We will have one more month of survey results to review prior to the Nov. 8 election.
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