11/15 - Living Below the Line

50% of survey complete.

What is living in poverty like?

Nearly a fifth of Louisianans live below the poverty line. For an individual, that means an income of less than $11,770 a year. A family of four brings in less than $24,250. What is living in poverty like? What factors cause such a high percentage of the state’s population to live under such conditions? What hurdles are there to escaping poverty and how can they be overcome? Why is the gap widening between those who have the most and those who have the least? Louisiana Public Square looks for answers on “Living Below the Line” airing Wednesday, November 18th at 7 p.m. on LPB HD. (Recording Tuesday, November 17th )

Your responses are confidential and we do not track your online identity.

Question Title

* 1. Based on your best guess, on which of these activities does the Louisiana state government currently spend the most money?

Health care

Education

Prisons

Roads and bridges

Welfare and food stamps

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 2. When it comes to dealing with the issue of poverty, which of the following two views comes closer to your own:

State government today can’t afford to do much more to help the needy.

The state government should do more to help needy residents even if it means going deeper into debt.

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 3. When it comes to poor people, which of the following two views comes closer to your own?

Poor people have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return.

Poor people have hard lives because government benefits don’t go far enough to help them live decently.

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 4. What do you think is more to blame for poverty?

Choices made by the individual that is poor.

The system that the individual is a part of.

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 5. What do you see as the top three causes of poverty?

Substance abuse

Criminality

Dropping out of school

Living in a single parent household

Mental health issues

Limited employment

Racism and/or sexism

Lack of access to healthcare

Lack of access to education

Don't know / Not available

Refused

Other (please specify)

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* 6. How much should the state government do to reduce poverty?

A lot

Some

Not much

Nothing

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 7. What would do more to reduce poverty?

Raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations to expand programs for the poor

Lowering taxes on the wealthy and corporations to encourage investment and economic growth

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 8. Which of the following best represents your opinion of government aid to the poor?

Government aid to the poor does more harm than good by making people too dependent on government.

Government aid to the poor does more good than harm because people can’t get out of poverty until basic needs are met.

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 9. Do you favor or oppose increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour?

Favor

Oppose

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 10. Which is more to blame if a person is poor?

Lack of effort on his or her part

Circumstances beyond his or her control

Don't know / Not available

Refused

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* 11. Which of the following best expresses your opinion of Louisiana’s economic system?

The economic system in Louisiana is generally fair to most residents.

The economic system in Louisiana unfairly favors the wealthy.

Don't know / Not available

Refused