86 Percent of Americans Think the Government Should Fight Poverty

[xchrom]

http://www.thenation.com/blog/177807/86-percent-americans-think-government-should-fight-poverty


Fifty years since President Lyndon Johnson announced a “War on Poverty,” a majority of Americans believe that persistent economic hardship is the result of a broken economy, not of personal or government failures. They broadly agree that the government has a responsibility to use its resources to fight poverty, and should pursue a target of reducing it by half over the next decade.

Those are the conclusions of a public opinion survey published Tuesday by the Center for American Progress. The report assessed perceptions of poverty in general, as well as opinions of the War on Poverty in retrospect and of policy proposals on the table now. As lawmakers move to cut benefits and refuse to consider serious investments in the economy, in education, and in healthcare, the survey is another reminder that those are precisely the investments people want the government to make.

News of falling unemployment, a rising stock market, and an end to the recession hasn’t shaken the public’s perception that a vast proportion of Americans can’t meet their basic needs. In fact, Americans see poverty as being far wider spread than the government does. Asked what percentage of their fellow Americans were living in poverty, the average guess was 39 percent—a sharp rise from the official estimate of 15 percent. Poverty is also a common personal experience, with more than half of respondents reporting that they knew someone who was poor.

When it comes to equality of opportunity, a majority of Americans don’t believe that poor Americans face a level playing field. And when forced to choose between core arguments about the roots of American poverty—that it stems from a flawed economic system, or from personal failings—nearly two-thirds agreed with the structural argument.

[Jamaal510]

1. Yet a big chunk of that 86%

continues to vote for people who are intent on fostering poverty.

[Nay]

11. Yup. It's easy. Stop voting Republican. nt

[elleng]

2. The 86 percent should inform their congressmembers

about their/our thoughts on the subject, and tell them to GET TO IT!

[pampango]

3. From the report: 5 popular policies and a change in negative attitudes towards the poor.

Americans also express very strong support for a number of policies to help reduce poverty rates with particular intensity around jobs, wages, and education but also on more traditional safety net items. Of the 11 policy ideas tested, five proposals received 80 percent or higher total support and 50 per-cent or higher strong support from Americans. These five policy proposals are: help low-wage workers afford quality child care (86 percent total support and 52 percent strong support); expand nutrition assistance to provide families with healthy food and enough to eat (85 percent total support and 50 percent strong support); make universal pre-kindergarten available for all children (84 percent total support and 59 percent strong support); expand publicly funded scholarships to help more families afford college (84 percent total support and 54 percent strong support); and increase the minimum wage and make sure it rises with inflation (80 percent total support and 58 percent strong support).

A second tier of anti-poverty proposals includes ideas for expanded tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, Child Tax Credit, and access to affordable health coverage, as well as proposals for a new national jobs program and more refinancing of mortgages. Roughly three-quarters of those polled sup- port these proposals, and more than 40 percent strongly support them.

Policymakers should feel confident that the American public will support efforts to expand economic opportunity, increase access to good jobs and wages, and maintain a robust social safety net. Harsh negative attitudes about the poor that seemingly defined political discussions throughout the 1980s and 1990s have given way to public recognition that many Americans—poor and middle class alike—are facing many pressures trying to stay afloat and get ahead in the difficult economic environment. Supporters of anti-poverty efforts should not be complacent in their efforts, however, and should recognize that although Americans back government action to reduce poverty, questions remain about the structure and scope of these efforts and how effective they have been over time.

http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/WOP-PollReport2.pdf

[Triana]

4. Unfortunately, most of the gov't work for those CAUSING it. n/t

[jsr]

10. No truer words.

[Egalitarian Thug]

5. Now all we need is to get 50% of the politihacks to agree. n/t

& R

[woo me with science]

6. Proof that we no longer live under a representative system.

This government has not remotely reflected he will of the people for some time now.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, xchrom.

[bvar22]

8. 86%... is that ALL?

As we have learned with Government Spying, Public Option, and Taxing the RICH,
it'll take much more than 86% to get Washington's attention.

[Myrina]

9. Why won't the Admin or Congress propose a 'new' WPA?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Progress_Administration

Goddess knows we need infrastructure rebuilt in this country. We need trees planted and roads paved and schools rebuilt and kids babysat .... why is nobody on the Dem side talking about starting something like the WPA up again, and for those who can't work for whatever reason, they get the Extended Unemployment Benefits.

We need internet cable laid in remote areas, we need urban gardens, we need buildings painted and parks tended to ....


Surely the people in DC aren't so stupid as to not know history, or an enormous opportunity, when it stares them in the face??

[Scuba]

12. And 86% of government apparently disagrees. As Blow says ...

[woo me with science]

13. The President is getting his FAST TRACK OF THE TPP!!!!!

WOO HOO THIRD WAY!!!!!!11!!!

[librechik]

14. Who cares? You seem to think this is a country designed "For the People"

It's really only For the Profit.

[woo me with science]

15. kick