More Than 6 in 10 Americans Say Too Many Are Dependant on Government

As states weigh measures to reduce usage of Medicaid and food stamps, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more than 6 in 10 Americans say too many are dependent on the government. Americans also continue to believe welfare programs hurt more than they help.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds 61% of  American adults think there are too many Americans dependent on the government, up from 55% in March 2017. The topline includes 63% of whites, 46% of blacks and 63% of other minorities.

That number has run in the mid- to high 60s over the previous four years. On Wednesday, another survey found 64% of Americans support childless, able-bodied adults being required to work as a condition for receiving Medicaid. That included a significant 58% of black Americans, whom Democrats claim to defend and represent.

Meanwhile, just 9% think there are not enough Americans dependent on the government, 18% think the level of dependency is about right and 12% are unsure. Forty-five percent (45%) say current government programs increase the level of poverty in America.

Only 19% feel these programs decrease poverty, while 20% say they have no impact and 16% are undecided.

Belief that these programs actually increase poverty has run as high as 52% in surveys since 2012, but confidence in their effectiveness has changed little.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on January 14-15, 2018 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.