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How Religious Beliefs Influence People’s Perspectives on Poverty and Poverty Assistance Programs
Research Team
Principal Investigator: Jamy Rentschler
Funding Information
Funding Agency: Midwest Sociological Society
Award Date: Jul 1, 2024
End Date: Mar 30, 2025
Abstract
Public opinion towards financial assistance is divided, with many Americans supporting federal spending on assistance to the poor, but not federal spending on welfare.
To begin to understand this disparity, it is important to examine how prominent social and cultural factors influence peoples opinions towards financial assistance.
One important factor that influences social and cultural beliefs is religion. More than 75% of Americans claim a religious affiliation, with the majority — 70% — identifying as Christian; and the majority of Christians identifying as Protestant.
This study aims to examine how Protestant Christians determine a person's deservingness of receiving financial assistance and the types of assistance they view as acceptable — particularly, how individuals' religious beliefs influence their views on poverty.
Researchers will conduct interviews to examine how prominent social and cultural factors influence peoples’ opinions towards financial assistance with the goal of creating a multidimensional scale for measuring public opinion towards poverty alleviation and informing policy decisions regarding poverty assistance programs.