Report · Money and Finance

Americans are split on the main cause of poverty

Reading

Americans give no single cause of poverty a clear edge, with laziness ranking first at 28%, according to a May 2023 Verasight survey.

One-quarter (25%) instead point to a lack of upward mobility rooted in childhood, while 24% name the breakup of the family unit and 22% blame systemic racism.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

Americans are split on the main cause of poverty.

What is the main reason for poverty?

  • Laziness 28.5%
  • Lack of upward mobility due to childhood issues 25.4%
  • Break up of the family unit 23.6%
  • Systemic Racism 22.5%

2023 · base n 1,000 · +/- 3.3%

AAPOR 2023 Omnibus Survey #2023-036

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2023-05-16 → 2023-05-17
Base (unweighted)
1,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
AAPOR 2023 Omnibus Survey #2023-036

Source

Citation

AAPOR 2023 Omnibus Survey #2023-036, fielded May 16-17, 2023, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.3%.

https://verasight-aapor-2023.tiiny.co

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.