Interesting Stats on Public Attitudes Toward Hunger

Public Attitudes Toward Hunger

Hunger is a major concern for a substantial proportion of American families. Economic factors are making it harder for people to adequately feed themselves and their families, forcing growing numbers to rely on public and private assistance programs.

FRAC has conducted a series of polls and analyses to explore voters’ feelings on hunger, nutrition, and other issues, including:

FRAC Poll: Americans Continue to to Show High Support for SNAP (August 2013 – Poll Results)
A new review of recent polling results, compiled by Hart Research Associates on behalf of the Food Research and Action Center, continues to show high rates of public support for government efforts to combat hunger, high rates of support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), and high rates of opposition to SNAP cuts.

FRAC Poll: Americans Continue to Voice Strong Support for SNAP and Strong Opposition to Cuts (May 2013 – Poll Results)
As the House and Senate Agriculture Committees prepare to take up the Farm Bill, new polling data released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) show that support for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) remains high. Seven in 10 voters say that cutting food stamp funding is the wrong way to reduce government spending.

FRAC Poll: Overwhelming Support for Food Stamps, Opposition to Cutting the Program (September 2012 – Poll Results)
New polling data released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) show overwhelming majorities opposing SNAP cuts. The majorities are as strong as other polls in 2010 and early 2012, despite several intervening months of criticism of the program and false charges by conservative Members of Congress, conservative media outlets, and others.

FRAC Poll: Opposition to Cutting Food Stamp Assistance (January 2012 – Poll Results)
American voters oppose cutting food stamp assistance (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) as a way to reduce government spending. Seventy-seven percent of voters say this is the wrong way to reduce spending and only 15 percent favor cutting such assistance. Opposition to cutting food stamps crossed party lines.

FRAC and Tyson Foods National Hunger Survey (March 2011 -Executive Summar y and Findings)
One in four Americans is worried about having enough money to put food on the table, according to a national hunger survey by Hart Research Associates, commissioned by FRAC and Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN). The online survey was initiated as part of Tyson’s “KNOW Hunger” campaign, which is focused on helping more people understand and actively address the problem of hunger in the U.S. The survey is one of the largest and most comprehensive ever conducted on attitudes and perceptions of hunger.

FRAC Poll: Overwhelming Support for Federal Efforts to End Hunger (December 2010 – Poll Results)
Eighty percent of Americans believe that hunger is a serious problem for the country that must be addressed. Support for ending hunger and protecting SNAP from budget cuts was high across party lines, age, race, gender, income, and geographical areas.

Summary of Public Opinion Research on Nutrition, Hunger, and Issues that Voters Want Candidates to Address (2010 Update | 2008 Full Report and Summary )
This report is the result of a review of polling data and research conducted during the past eight years exploring public opinion on nutrition, food insecurity, hunger and federal spending on domestic programs to combat these problems. The review by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and McLaughlin & Associates found that:

Most Americans believe hunger — especially childhood hunger — is a serious problem that is getting worse, and that providing relief to those who need it is crucial to solving the problem.
Most Americans have a favorable view of the federal nutrition programs, such as SNAP/Food Stamps, often even if it means increasing spending in these areas.
Hunger is an important issue that voters want government and political leaders to address.