Baseline Public Opinion Research November 2008. Figure 1 Overwhelming Support for Poverty Reduction...

Baseline Public Opinion ResearchNovember 2008

Figure 2

13 11

76

0

20

40

60

80

Overwhelming Support for Poverty Reduction Goal

No Significant Difference Between Split Samples

Half in Ten Baseline Survey – November 2008

Support

Would you support or oppose the next President and Congress setting a national goal to cut poverty in the United States in half within ten years (and strengthen the middle class)?

Oppose Don’t know/Refused

Figure 3

59

2128

14 13

64

0

25

50

75

100

Majority Remain Supportive Despite Challenges on Cost to Businesses, Tax &

Spend


Would you still support a national goal to cut poverty in the United States in half within ten years (and strengthen the

middle class) if it required businesses to pay their workers higher wages or contribute more

for benefits like health care?

Would you still support a national goal to cut poverty in the United States in half within ten years and (strengthen the

middle class) if it required higher taxes for the wealthy and new

government spending?

Support Oppose Don’t know/Refused

Support Oppose Don’t know/Refused

Figure 4

63

2219

13 13

54

0

20

40

60

80

Solid support Conditional support Solid oppose

Movement Among Undecideds Produces Increased Final

Support


Initial Final

Would you support or oppose the next President and Congress setting a national goal to cut poverty in the United States in half within ten years (and strengthen the middle class )?

Figure 5

7

22117

0

25

50

75

100

Excellent Good Poor Just fair

Declining Ratings of Personal Finances*

42

How would you rate your financial situation today?

57

50 49


*Findings from 2001 NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll, conducted January 4-February 27, 2001 of 1,952 randomly selected respondents

2008 2001*

-15 +1

Figure 6

23

28

33

32

40

32

37

40

40

48

0 20 40 60

Having too little money tobuy enough food

Falling behind in your rentor mortgage payments

Falling behind in your gas,electric or phone bills

Being unable to get medicalcare because of the cost

Having trouble paying thecredit card balance

Yes: 2008

Yes: 2001*

Financial diffLittle Support for Connor…Financial Difficulties Growing

Significant Increase in Every Measure Tested

In the past year, have you or someone in your family had a SERIOUS problem with any of the following?



Figure 7

Growing Personal Connectionto Poverty

Thinking about your own family – both your immediate family living here and your other close relatives like aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on – as far as you know, is anyone in your family poor?



2001*2008

+5 -27

Figure 8

19

14

9

11

5

9

8

9

6

0 5 10 15 20 25

<7%

8-15%

16-20%

21-25%

26-30%

31-35%

36-40%

41-50%

>51%

Percent poor Little Support for Connor…Percentage Poor in America

Public Believes Poverty Rate Much Higher Than Official Count

Mean: 29%


Figure 9

Poverty Touches the Middle Class


Much more

Total

The negative consequences of poverty affect all of us. 51 77

OR

The negative consequences of poverty affect mostly those living in poor neighborhoods.

10 19

Poor families share a lot of economic needs and priorities with middle class families.

24 59

OR

Poor families have different economic needs and priorities than middle class families.

19 36

Policies that help poor families also help to make middle class families more secure.

23 49

ORPolicies that help poor families don't do much to help middle class families.

21 42

Figure 10

29 23 1830 25 2222

1222 26

1420

0

25

50

75

100

1st Statement much more 1st Statement somewhat more

2nd Statement much more 2nd Statement somewhat more

Broad Partisan / Ideological Agreement on Shared Economic

Needs

37

Democrat

57 62

37


58

3339

58

40

29

6258

Poor families share a lot of economic needs and priorities with middle class families. ORPoor families have different economic needs and priorities than middle class families.

Independent Republican Liberal Moderate Conservative

+21 +33 +17 +19 +29 +22

Figure 11

37

189

41

231314

25 2715

21 25

0

25

50

75

100

1st Statement much more 1st Statement somewhat more

2nd Statement much more 2nd Statement somewhat more

Sharp Partisan and Ideological Divides When Focus Shifts to

Policies

27

Democrat

56

68

52


384249

2634

4941

66

Policies that help poor families also help to make middle class families more secure. ORPolicies that help poor families don't do much to help middle class families.

Independent Republican Liberal Moderate Conservative

+39 -8 -22 +42 +7 -14

Figure 12

Figure 13

1

8 8

47

25

15

84

12

71

17

58

21

60

20

14

49

23

12

44

2522

58

23

10

52

23

14

52

2116

0

25

50

75

100

Solid support Conditional support Solid oppose

Poverty Reduction - Key Demographics

Age, Race are critical factors

White Black HispanicYoung women

Young men

Older women

Older men

H.S. or less

Some college

College grad


Figure 14

17

24

8

78

15

3

48

22

2831

77

16

3

61

22

37

25 24

0

25

50

75

100Solid support Conditional support Solid oppose

Poverty Reduction - Partisan/Ideology

Democrat RepublicanIndependent Liberal ConservativeModerate


Figure 15

21

129

49

20 19

43

23

48

28

62

24

6

65

19

58

26

9

67

19

8

0

25

50

75

100Solid support Conditional support Solid oppose

Poverty Reduction – ReligionRegular Church Attendance Correlates with Decreased Support

Devout Born Again

Devout Mainline

Protestant

Devout Catholic

Irregular Born Again

Irregular Mainline

Protestant

Irregular Catholic

No religious affiliation


Figure 16

External Social and Economic Factors

Are Root Causes of Poverty


Much more

Total

Most people who live in poverty are poor because their jobs don't pay enough, they lack good health care and education, and things cost too much for them to save and move ahead.

39 57

ORMost people who live in poverty are poor because they make bad decisions or act irresponsibly in their own lives

12 25

Most people who live in poverty are poor because economic conditions outside of their control cause them to be poor.

26 47

OR

Most people who live in poverty are poor because they are not doing enough to help themselves out of poverty.

22 38

Now I'm going to read you some pairs of statements about poverty and the economy. After I read each pair, please tell me whether you agree more with the first statement or agree more with the second statement.

Figure 17

Current Financial Crisis Not Reason to Delay Action on Poverty

Much more

Total

Even with the costs of fixing the financial crisis, the government cannot ignore the economic needs of poor families.

41 72

OR

Given all the money we are spending to fix the financial crisis, the government should not plan any new spending to help the poor.

10 21

The recent financial crisis was primarily a result of government deregulation and reckless behavior by Wall Street banks and CEOs.

40 53

OR

The recent financial crisis was primarily a result of low-income and minority homebuyers getting in over their head with mortgages they could not afford.

14 22


Figure 18

Government and Politics FrameMost Effective Against Conservative Frame


8-

1010 Mean

Poverty is primarily a failure of government policy-something is wrong with our political system when the wealthy get huge tax breaks while millions of workers can't earn enough to stay out of poverty. To cut poverty, we must end the "trickle-down" and "on your own" mentality of the last eight years by paying workers a living wage; making corporations and the rich contribute their fair share; investing in infrastructure and jobs; providing affordable health care; and creating better schools and job opportunities for young people.

55 32 7.1

Poverty is primarily a failure of personal responsibility-any one in this country can make it into the middle class if they work hard enough and make the right decisions in life. To cut poverty, we need to ensure that poor people take responsibility for their own choices, reduce their dependency on welfare and government handouts, and pursue policies that promote work and strong two-parent families

35 18 5.8

I'd like you to please rate the argument on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 meaning that argument is not at all convincing to you as a way to reduce poverty and 10 meaning the argument is very convincing to you as a way to reduce poverty.

Baseline Public Opinion Research November 2008. Figure 1 Overwhelming Support for Poverty Reduction...

Documents

Transcript of Baseline Public Opinion Research November 2008. Figure 1 Overwhelming Support for Poverty Reduction...