Poverty and Welfare: People’s Chief Concerns Source: Public Agenda, accessed on January 3 at http://www. publicagenda .org/issues/pcc_detail2. cfm
Jan 14, 2016
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