This is definitely the case, because we already see different analyses for different topics.
When it comes to NSF, people worry about overhead and waste. When it's welfare or food stamps, people worry about fraud instead. Some of this is moral - people care about the 'undeserving poor' more than 'undeserving scientists' - because we tend to hate abuse of charity. But it clearly shows that there are different categories of concern, and that the public is capable of examining both topics.
When it comes to NSF, people worry about overhead and waste. When it's welfare or food stamps, people worry about fraud instead. Some of this is moral - people care about the 'undeserving poor' more than 'undeserving scientists' - because we tend to hate abuse of charity. But it clearly shows that there are different categories of concern, and that the public is capable of examining both topics.