Poverty Seen as Increasing, Poll Reports

The American people perceive poverty in the United States to be more extensive than the federal government’s estimates indicate, believe that the problem is worsening and favor a more even distribution of wealth, according to the latest Gallup Poll.

Although the federal government estimates that 15.2% of Americans are officially poor, survey respondents believe that about twice this proportion--30%--live below the poverty line, which the government defines as $10,178 for a family of four.

The poll also shows that a large majority, 70%, believes the percentage of Americans living below the poverty line is increasing.

Respondents were asked whether they believed that lack of effort or circumstance was more to blame for a person’s poverty.

Public Evenly Divided

The results show public opinion evenly divided between those who blame lack of effort (33%) and those who blame circumstance or the social environment (34%). Another 31% believe that poverty is the result of a combination of these.

As might be expected, persons classified as poor are more likely than the non-poor to find circumstances more often to blame.

Sixty percent of Americans would like to see the money and wealth in this country more evenly distributed, while 32% say the distribution is fair.

Among the non-poor, 47% believe that there should be a more even distribution, and 45% believe that the current situation is fair. Among the poor, 76% favor a more equitable distribution, and only 17% believe that the present situation is fair.

The results are based on in-person interviews with 1,505 adults, including 222 who are classified as poor and 1,283 as non-poor, 18 and older, conducted Dec. 7-10. The margin of error is 3 percentage points in either direction.