American Support of Public Programs for Veterans: Estimates From a National Survey Including a Discrete Choice Experiment

Abstract

Do Americans see veterans as particularly deserving or simply as other members of their community? From a nationally representative survey fielded between June and September 2021 with over 2,000 respondents, we find that Americans state high levels of support for veterans and are willing to pay additional tax dollars to provide assistance programs. We find that most Americans support free health care, free college, and affordable housing for all Americans, and the support is notably stronger for programs for veterans. From a discrete choice experiment, we find that Americans are willing to pay hundreds of dollars in additional taxes to provide assistance programs to either veterans or to all community members, and Americans are willing to pay significantly more for certain programs for veterans. In addition, we look at differences in willingness to pay based on military and political affiliation and find significant differences in willingness to pay by political affiliation.