Social Issues in the United States Poverty

1,253 adults interviewed online May 14-26, 2015
Field work conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs

Some questions from this survey have been held for later release.

1. Do you feel things in this country are generally going in the right direction or do you feel things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?

Right direction	38
Wrong track	62

3g. How much have you read or heard about each of these social issues in the United States today? Poverty 

Extensively / a lot	21
Quite a bit	28
A fair amount	22
Some	18
Not very much	8
Not at all	3

4g. How much do you feel you know about each of these social issues in the United States today? Poverty

Extensive / a lot	16
Quite a bit	22
A fair amount	25
Some	22
Not very much	10
Not at all	4

5g. Using the scale below, please indicate how important you think each of these social issues is in the United States today. Poverty

Extremely important	43
Very important	31
Somewhat important	18
Slightly important	6
Not very important	1
Not at all important	1

7g. How widespread and common do you think each of these social issues is in the United States today? Poverty

Extremely	34
Very	31
Somewhat	25
Slightly	8
Not very	1
Not at all	1

8g. Do you know anyone who has personally experienced …? Poverty

Yes	54
No	46

9g. How serious a problem do you think each of these social issues is for those experiencing it in the United States today? Poverty

Extremely serious	43
Very serious	30
Somewhat serious	17
Slightly serious	6
Not very serious	2
Not at all serious	1

10g. To what extent do you think each of these social issues is already being adequately addressed in the United States today? Poverty

Addressed completely	7
Addressed to a very great extent	14
Addressed somewhat	30
Addressed slightly	19
Not addressed very well	22
Not at all addressed	7

11g. For each of the following social issues in the United States today, please indicate if you have or have not spent time being personally involved in trying to help. Poverty

Yes, have	33
No, have not	67

12g.  How interested are you in getting personally involved in working towards a solution to each of these social issues in the United States? Poverty

Extremely interested	19
Very interested	21
Somewhat interested	23
Slightly interested	17
Not very interested	8
Not at all interested	11

24. Do you believe that Poverty is caused more (answers were rotated):

By a lack of individual effort	42
By society’s inequality	58

25. Do you consider yourself to be poor?

Yes	27
No	73

25a. Why do you feel that way? Please be as specific as possible.
(percentages add to more than 100% because multiple responses were accepted)

Consider self poor:

Because of today’s standards/definition of poverty	7
Don’t make enough money	30
Living paycheck to paycheck	15
Making minimum wage	5
Can’t meet basic needs	8
Lack of clothes/cars/heating/lighting	2
Can’t pay bills/owe money	8
Don’t own/Can’t afford a house	5
Lack of health insurance/health care	10
Not enough food	7
No savings/investments	4
No money for extras	2
High cost of living	6
Not working	20
No job opportunities/bad economy	9
Don’t know	5

Do not consider self poor:

Because of today’s standards/definition of poverty	6
Working/Have good job	20
Lot of opportunities for work	5
Earning enough	14
Have savings/investments	9
Have disposable income	8
Have enough/everything I need	28
Have home/property	22
Have enough food	20
Have clothes/cars/heating/lighting	8
Can pay bills/Don’t owe money	13
Trust in God	4
Good health	5
Family support	6
Good education	3
Feel secure	8
Don’t know	5

26. Into which of these categories do you feel you and your household fall?

Wealthy	3
Upper Middle Class	9
Middle Class	37
Lower Middle/Working Class	30
Lower Income	14
In poverty	7