Numbers don't lie

86 percent of strident conservatives think the poor 'have it easy'

Pew Research Center

Illustrating the deep divide between GOP versus Democratic support for policies most benefiting the poor, a new Pew survey finds that a whopping 86 percent of steadfast conservatives think the poor "have it easy." Similarly, business-minded Republicans (77 percent) and young Republican-leaning adults (81 percent) feel the same way.

That sentiment underpins Republican arguments that programs like food stamps and unemployment benefits should be cut because they disincentivize work. And indeed, the same survey finds that at least eight in 10 Republicans from all three aforementioned demographic subgroups agree with the argument that government aid to the needy "does more harm than good."