Dive Summary:

• The annual General Social Survey shows "improving education" as a top priority of the U.S. public when it comes to how the government spends money.
• The General Social Survey uses scores the public's spending priorities on an index of +100 to -100, with positive numbers representing more spending and negative numbers representing less, and "improving education" scored a +68.4.
• The results of the survey, which was issued last year, come as the U.S. Education Department is losing over $1 billion due to sequestration.

From the article:

As President Barack Obama and lawmakers spar over huge federal deficits, they’re confronted by a classic contradiction: Most Americans want government austerity, a new survey shows—but they also want increased spending on a host of popular programs, with education at the top of the list. ...