Poverty and Welfare: People’s Chief Concerns

Poverty and Welfare:People’s Chief Concerns

Source: Public Agenda, accessed on January 3 at http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/pcc_detail2.cfm

Fulfiliing Our Nation’s Ideals

1. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? – "As long as so many Americans are poor or

homeless, our nation has failed to live up to its ideals.”

A. Strongly agreeB. Somewhat agreeC. Strongly disagreeD. Somewhat Disagree

E. Don’t know

Survey Organization: Public AgendaSponsored by National Constitution Center

Sample: 1,520 adultsMethodology: Telephone interview conducted July 10-24, 2002

Our Class

Nat’l

Sample

A. Strongly agree

B. Somewhat agree

C. Strong disagree

D. Somewhat disagree

E. Don’t know

Survey Facts

Questions 2-12; 17-21• Survey Organization: International

Communications Research, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard UniversitySponsored by National Public Radio

• Sample: 1,952 adultsMethodology: Telephone interview conducted Jan. 4-Feb. 27, 2001Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 percent because of rounding.

Efficacy of Government Programs

2. Question: Do you think government programs that try to improve the condition of poor people in this country are:

A. generally making things better, B. making things worse, or C. aren't having much of an impact one way or anotherD. Don’t know

Efficacy of Government Programs

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. generally making things better

B. making things worse

C. aren't having much of an impact

D. Don’t know

Can We Eliminate Poverty?

3. Question: If the government were willing to spend whatever it thought was necessary to eliminate poverty in the United States, do you think that this is something that could be accomplished, or not?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t Know

Can We Eliminate Poverty?

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

• For each of the following, please tell me if this is a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all. Keep a record of your answers as we go along.

• drug abuse • medical bills• decline in moral values • too many part-time or

low-wage jobs • too many single parents• poor people lacking

motivation • poor public schools • the welfare system• a shortage of jobs

Causes of Poverty

4. Question: Is drug abuse a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

drug abuse

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

5. Question: Are medical bills a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

medical bills

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

6. Question: Is a decline in moral values a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

a decline in moral values

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

7. Question: Is too many part-time or low-wage jobs a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

too many part-time or low-wage jobs

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

8. Question: Is too many single parents a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

too many single parents

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

9. Question: Is poor people lacking motivation a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

poor people lacking motivation

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

10.Question: Are poor public schools a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

poor public schools

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

11.Question: Is the welfare system a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

the welfare system

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of Poverty

12.Question: Is a shortage of jobs a major cause of poverty, a minor cause of poverty, or not a cause at all?

A. MajorB. MinorC. Not at allD. Don’t know

Causes of Poverty:

a shortage of jobs

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Major

B. Minor

C. Not at all

D. Don’t Know

Causes of PovertyCause Major % Minor % NotC DK

Drug abuse

Medical Bills

Decline in Moral Values

Too many part-time or low-wage jobs

Too many single parents

Poor people lacking motivation

Poor public schools

The welfare system

A shortage of jobs

Anxiety about Becoming Poor

13. Question: Does the possibility of becoming poor worry you a great deal, worry you just a little, or doesn't it worry you at all?

A. A great deal

B. A little

C. Not at all

D. Don’t know

Anxiety about Becoming Poor

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Great deal

B. A little

C. Not at all

D. Don’t know

Do the poor work enough?

14.Question: Do you think that poor people in the United States are people who work but can't earn enough money, or people who don't work?

A. Work

B. Don’t work

C. Don’t know

Do the poor work enough?

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Work but don’t earn enough

B. Don’t work

C. Don’t work

Survey Facts

Questions 15-16• Survey Organization: Princeton Survey Research

AssociatesSponsored by The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press

• Sample: 985 adults• Methodology: Telephone interview conducted Sept.

28-Oct. 10, 1999• Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 percent

because of rounding

Government Responsibility

15. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

– It is the responsibility of the government to take care of people who can't take care of themselves.

A. Completely agreeB. Mostly agreeC. Mostly disagreeD. Completely disagreeE. Don’t know

Government Responsibility

take care of peopleOur

ClassNat’l

Sample

A. Completely agree

B. Mostly agree

C. Mostly disagree

D. Completely disagree

E. Don’t know

Government Responsibility

16. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

– The government should help more needy people even if it means going deeper into debt.

A. Completely agreeB. Mostly agreeC. Mostly disagreeD. Completely disagreeE. Don’t know

Government ResponsibilityRun a deficit

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Completely agree

B. Mostly agree

C. Mostly disagree

D. Completely disagree

E. Don’t know

Major change is welfare laws?

17.Question: To the best of your knowledge, has there been a major change in welfare laws in the past eleven years, or not?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t know

Major change is welfare laws? Source: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

Sample: 1,952 adults

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t Know

Welfare Reform

18. Question: Just to refresh your memory, the new welfare law, which Congress passed in 1996, ends the federal guarantee of public assistance to the poor. It also requires able-bodied recipients to work within two years. It sets a lifetime limit on federal benefits of five years for most people. And it gives the states a lot of flexibility. All in all, do you think the new welfare law is working well, or not?

A. Working wellB. Not working wellC. Don’t know

Welfare ReformSource: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

Sample: 1,024 adults who say there has been a major change in the welfare laws in the past eleven years

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Working well

B. Not working well

C. Don’t know

Reasons for success of welfare reform

19.Question: There are many reasons people give for why they think the new law is working well. I'm going to read you a few of them. Please tell me whether each is a major reason you think the new law is working well, a minor reason, or not a reason at all.

Sample: 613 adults who say the new welfare law is working well

Major Minor Not DK

The law requires people to work

The law has cut welfare rolls

Welfare depts are doing more to help poor people

There is less stigma attached to welfare

Work Opportunity

20.Question: Do you think there are jobs available for most welfare recipients who really want to work or not?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t know

Work OpportunitySource: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t Know

Work OpportunitySource: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

1,477 adults who say there are jobs available

21.Question: Do you think most of the jobs they can get pay enough to support a family or not?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t know

Work OpportunitySource: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

1,477 adults who say there are jobs available

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t Know

Are poor people needy?

22. Question: In your opinion, do you think that most people who receive money from welfare today could get along without it if they tried, or do you think that most of them really need this help?

A. Could get along without it

B. Really need it

C. Don’t know

Are poor people needy? Source: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

Sample: 1,952 adults

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Could get along without it

B. Need help

C. Don’t know

Incentives to Have Children

23.Question: Do you think that welfare encourages women to have more children than they would have if they were not able to get welfare, or not?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t know

Incentives to Have Children Source: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001

Sample: 1,952 adults

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Yes

B. No

C. Don’t Know

Survey FactsQuestions 24

• Survey Organization: Public AgendaSponsored by The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, the New York Community Trust, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

• Sample: 1,000 adults; • Methodology: Telephone interview conducted

Dec. 8-17, 1995Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 percent because of rounding

What’s wrong with welfare?

24. Question: Some people feel that the most upsetting thing about welfare is that it costs too much in tax money. Others feel that the most upsetting thing about welfare is that it encourages people to adopt the wrong lifestyle and values. What is your opinion?

A. Welfare costs too much moneyB. Welfare encourages the wrong lifestyle and valuesC. NeitherD. Don’t know

What’s wrong with welfare?

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Welfare costs too much in taxes

B. Welfare encourages the wrong lifestyle and values

C. Neither

D. Don’t know

Survey FactsQuestions 25

• Survey Organization: Newsweek

• Sample: 656 adults• Methodology: Telephone interview conducted

April 14-15, 1997Margin of error: +/- 4 %Note: Percentages may not add up to 100 percent because of rounding.From Newsweek 4/97, Newsweek Inc.

Government Retreat?

25. Question: Thinking about the new cutbacks and limits in federal/state welfare programs, do you see these cuts and limits mostly as government giving up its proper role of helping poor people or government ending a system that has kept poor people in poverty?

A. Giving up proper roleB. Ending system that kept people poorC. NeitherD. BothE. Don’t know

Government Retreat?

Our Class

Nat’l Sample

A. Giving up proper role

B. Ending system that kept people poor

C. Neither

D. Both

E. Don’t know