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FEDERAL SPENDING - GENERAL TEXT If you had a say in making up the federal budget this year, for which (1986 AND LATER: of the following) programs would you like to see spending increased and for which would you like to see spending decreased: Should federal spending on [ITEM] be increased, decreased or kept about the same? 1992,1996: poor people 2000,2012-later: aid to the poor 2002,2004: aid to poor people
Federal spending on aid to the poor · Asked in 10 waves, 1992–2024 · 33,919 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Codes that include 'no Pre/Post IW' were dropped for respondents without that interview. Dropped only in years where the codebook names a design split (alternate form, half sample, abbreviated or web instrument): 9 in 1984. NA code treated as not asked where it exceeds 10% of a year's answers (an unlabeled split or filter): 9 in 2002. Kept and flagged: 8 (dk), 9 (no_answer). Codebook notes: GENERAL NOTE: See federal spending question text and notes preceding this variable. 2002 NOTE 1: There were two series of Federal spending questions. Respondents were randomly assigned to one series in the Pre and the alternate in the Post. Within each series, respondents were randomly assigned to one of two possible orderings. 2002 NOTE 2: Respondents were randomly assigned one of two wordings: ‘aid to poor people’ or ‘aid to the working poor.’ Data from ‘aid to poor people’ are represented here.
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Increased | Same | Decreased (before 2012: or cut out entirely) | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents | 56% | 33% |
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 2024 Time Series Study Source variable: V241279. | 2024-08-03 to 2025-02-17 | mixed | 5,521 | 5,270 |
| ANES 2020 Time Series Study Source variable: V201318. | 2020-08-18 to 2021-01-04 | mixed | 8,280 | 8,272 |
| ANES 2016 Time Series Study Source variable: V161211. | 2016-09-07 to 2017-01-09 | mixed | 4,270 | 4,263 |
| ANES 2012 Time Series Study Source variable: fedspend_poor. | 2012-09-09 to 2013-01-13 | mixed | 5,914 | 5,914 |
| ANES 2008 Time Series Study Source variable: V083148. | 2008-09-02 to 2008-12-30 | face to face | 2,322 | 2,321 |
| ANES 2004 Time Series Study Source variable: V043172. | 2004-09-07 to 2004-12-19 | face to face | 1,212 | 1,208 |
| ANES 2002 Time Series Study Source variable: V025115x. | 2002-09-18 to 2002-12-06 | phone | 1,511 | 669 |
| ANES 2000 Time Series Study |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| 11% |
| 5270 |
| ±2 |
| Democrats | 76% | 21% | 3% | 1863 | ±3 |
| Independents (incl. leaners) | 56% | 34% | 10% | 1723 | ±3 |
| Republicans | 32% | 47% | 21% | 1651 | ±3 |
ANES 2024 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ (face-to-face samples: contiguous 48 states and DC; web samples: 50 states and DC). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 2000-09-05 to 2000-12-22 |
| mixed |
| 1,807 |
| 1,807 |
| ANES 1996 Time Series Study Source variable: V960565. | 1996-09-03 to 1997-01-02 | mixed | 1,714 | 1,714 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V923817. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed | 2,485 | 2,481 |