A Window of Opportunity II: An Analysis of Public Opinion on Poverty

Join The Opportunity Agenda as we review key findings and recommendations from our latest report on public perceptions of poverty, A Window of Opportunity II, in a free webinar on Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. EST.

In 2014, fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty,” The Opportunity Agenda published A Window of Opportunity, a three-part examination of prevailing public opinion and media representation of poverty in America. The report set out to answer several key questions: What is the public perception about the causes of poverty? Do people still have faith in the American Dream? What role, if any, do stereotypes and other biases play in shaping attitudes towards people living in poverty? Are there major differences in opinion between demographic groups? How has opinion changed over time?

Our updated 2016 report, A Window of Opportunity II, revisits some of the key questions explored in the 2014 report, in addition to an examination of new related variables, including public perception of the fairness of the economy, attitudes towards people suffering from homelessness, and public attitudes towards taxation and spending.