Submission Type
Poster
Start Date
April 2020
Abstract
Political platforms on social welfare issues that directly affect the lives of millions of citizens can make or break a candidate’s campaign for office. Therefore, it is important to view and understand public opinion towards these programs. Not only the general public’s attitudes, but the attitudes of specific sub-groups as well, such as political affiliation, ideology, age, gender, race, religion, education, and class. The opinions of sub-groups have important implications for how candidates will campaign on social welfare issues and how policymakers will shape public policy regarding welfare programs. This paper will both summarize and analyze datasets of public opinion since 1990 on government spending on various social welfare programs both by sub-group and the public at large, as well as explore how public opinion affects public policy. My conclusion holds that the general public steadily favors a larger role and spending by the government on social welfare. Numerous Americans are exhausted by the unmitigated costs of goods such as health and education which most democratic nations essentially offer as human rights; so much so that outspoken socialists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have received unprecedented amounts of popularity and favorability.
Recommended Citation
Condon, Timothy, "410— Analysis of Public Opinion on Social Welfare Programs in the United States" (2020). GREAT Day Posters. 33.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2020/posters-2020/33
Included in
410— Analysis of Public Opinion on Social Welfare Programs in the United States
Political platforms on social welfare issues that directly affect the lives of millions of citizens can make or break a candidate’s campaign for office. Therefore, it is important to view and understand public opinion towards these programs. Not only the general public’s attitudes, but the attitudes of specific sub-groups as well, such as political affiliation, ideology, age, gender, race, religion, education, and class. The opinions of sub-groups have important implications for how candidates will campaign on social welfare issues and how policymakers will shape public policy regarding welfare programs. This paper will both summarize and analyze datasets of public opinion since 1990 on government spending on various social welfare programs both by sub-group and the public at large, as well as explore how public opinion affects public policy. My conclusion holds that the general public steadily favors a larger role and spending by the government on social welfare. Numerous Americans are exhausted by the unmitigated costs of goods such as health and education which most democratic nations essentially offer as human rights; so much so that outspoken socialists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have received unprecedented amounts of popularity and favorability.
Comments
Sponsored by Jeffrey Koch