LSU Survey Results
POVERTY
For each Louisiana Public Square program, the studio audience is given a pre-and a post-show survey. Analysis of the responses provides an opportunity to track any changes in opinions that may be the result of the deliberative process experienced by our participants. Below are some of the most striking modifications of opinions about this month’s topic of poverty in Louisiana. Full pre-and post-survey results follow.
Participants were presented with a list of possible causes of poverty, and asked to say whether each was a major, cause, a minor cause, or not a cause at all. Opinions shifted on five of the nine causes given. The largest shifts were regarding “medical bills”, “a decline in morals” and “the welfare system”. The number who thought medical bills were a major cause doubled, while the number who thought a decline in morals was a major a cause, was cut in half. After the program, half a many respondents felt that the welfare system was a major cause of poverty.
When asked before the program which is the bigger cause of poverty today - that people are not doing enough to help themselves out of poverty, or that circumstances beyond their control cause them to be poor, half of the audience thought the former was true. After the program, two thirds felt people are not doing enough themselves.
As with most past surveys, the number of “don’t know” responses decreased following the program. In other words, participants seem more willing to take positions on issues after discussion with their peers and after hearing responses from the panel of experts. In this survey, however, the number of “don’t know” answers increased for two of the survey questions. Following the program, more respondents were unsure that “lack of motivation” was a cause of poverty. When asked whether poor people today have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return, or poor people have hard lives because government benefits don’t go far enough to help them live decently, twice as many participants answered “don’t know” in the post-survey.
Q1. Do you think state government programs that try to improve the condition of poor people in Louisiana are generally...
% Before % After Making things better 25.0 25.0 Making things worse 8.3 0.0 Not Much Impact 58.3 66.7 Don't know / Not available 8.3 8.3 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
a. Drug abuse
% Before % After Major 58.3 58.3 Minor 33.3 41.7 Not a Cause 8.3 0.0 Don't know / Not available 8.3 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
b. Medical bills
% Before % After Major 33.3 66.7 Minor 58.3 33.3 Not a Cause 8.3 0.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
c. Decline in moral values
% Before % After Major 66.7 91.7 Minor 25.0 8.3 Not a Cause 8.3 0.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
d. Too many part-time or low-wage jobs
% Before % After Major 41.7 66.7 Minor 58.3 25.0 Not a Cause 0.0 8.3 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
e. Too many single parents
% Before % After Major 83.3 100.0 Minor 16.7 0.0 Not a Cause 0.0 0.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
f. Poor people lacking motivation
% Before % After Major 75.0 58.3 Minor 25.0 25.0 Not a Cause 0.0 8.3 Don't know / Not available 0.0 8.3 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
g. Poor public schools
% Before % After Major 75.0 75.0 Minor 16.7 25.0 Not a Cause 8.3 0.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
h. The welfare system
% Before % After Major 66.7 33.3 Minor 16.7 58.3 Not a Cause 8.3 8.3 Don't know / Not available 8.3 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q2. For each of the following, do you think this is a major cause of poverty, minor cause of poverty or not a cause at all?
i. A shortage of jobs
% Before % After Major 58.3 58.3 Minor 33.3 33.3 Not a Cause 8.3 8.3 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q3. In your opinion, which is the bigger cause of poverty today?
% Before % After People Not Doing Enough 50.0 66.7 Circumstances Beyond Control 41.7 33.3 Don't know / Not available 8.3 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q4. Do you think poor people find it hard to get work, or do you think there are jobs available for anyone who is willing to work?
% Before % After Hard To Find Job 50.0 50.0 Jobs Available 50.0 50.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q5. Which of the following statements comes closer to your own views?
% Before % After Easy Because of Benefits 33.3 16.7 Hard Because Benefits Don't Go Far 50.0 50.0 Don't know / Not available 16.7 33.3 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q6. Would you consider a family of four that makes $25,000 to be poor?
% Before % After Yes 91.7 91.7 No 8.3 8.3 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q7. Gov't run by big interests or for Benefit of All?
% Before % After Big Interests 50.0 58.3 Benefit of All 41.7 33.3 Don't know / Not available 8.3 8.3 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q8. Attention Paid by Government to What People Think?
% Before % After Good Deal 25.0 25.0 Some 25.0 50.0 Not Much 41.7 25.0 Don't know / Not available 8.3 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q9. Discussions Important Part of Political Process?
% Before % After Strongly Agree 66.7 75.0 Agree 33.3 25.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0 Q10. Democracy Requires Hearing All Sides of Political Issue, Even Unpopular Views.
% Before % After Strongly Agree 75.0 75.0 Agree 25.0 25.0 Don't know / Not available 0.0 0.0 Refused 0.0 0.0
Some questions and comments may be included in the program.
