Poverty and Welfare: People’s Chief Concerns Source: Public Agenda, accessed on January 3 at

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 agree B. Somewhat agree C. Strongly disagree D. Somewhat Disagree E. Don’t know

Survey Organization: Public Agenda Sponsored by National Constitution Center Sample: 1,520 adults Methodology: 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; Survey Organization: International Communications Research, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University Sponsored by National Public Radio Sample: 1,952 adults Methodology: Telephone interview conducted Jan. 4-Feb. 27, 2001 Note: 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 another D. 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 all D.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 all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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.Major B.Minor C.Not at all D.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 Poverty Cause Major %Minor %NotCDK 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 Survey Organization: Princeton Survey Research Associates Sponsored 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 agree B.Mostly agree C.Mostly disagree D.Completely disagree E.Don’t know

Government Responsibility take care of people Our Class Nat’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 agree B.Mostly agree C.Mostly disagree D.Completely disagree E.Don’t know

Government Responsibility Run 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 well B. Not working well C. Don’t know

Welfare Reform Source: 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 MajorMinorNotDK 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 Opportunity Source: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard 2001 Our Class Nat’l Sample A. Yes B. No C. Don’t Know

Work Opportunity Source: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard ,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 Opportunity Source: NPR / Kaiser / Harvard ,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 Facts Questions 24 Survey Organization: Public Agenda Sponsored 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, 1995 Note: 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 money B.Welfare encourages the wrong lifestyle and values C.Neither D.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 Facts Questions 25 Survey Organization: Newsweek Sample: 656 adults Methodology: Telephone interview conducted April 14-15, 1997 Margin 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 role B.Ending system that kept people poor C.Neither D.Both E.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