- How do you feel about foreign aid ( the
assistance that the United States gives to other countries) on a scale of 1 - 10, with 1
being very negative and 10 being very positive?
1)___ 2)___ 3)___ 4)___ 5)___ 6)___ 7)___ 8)___ 9)___ 10)___
- Do you feel the amount the United States spends on foreign aid is too
much, too little, or about right?
1) too much ___ 2) too little ___ 3) About the right amount___ 4) don't know___
- What is your best hunch about what percentage of the federal budget
goes to foreign aid?
1) 1% ____ 2) 5% ____ 3) 12% ____ 4) 22% ____ 5) 34% _____
- What do you think would be an appropriate percentage of the federal
budget to go to foreign aid, if any?
1) 1%____ 2) 5%____ 3) 12%____ 4) 22% ____ 5) 34% _____
- Now imagine that you found out that the US spends 1% of the federal
budget on foreign aid. Would you feel that this is:
1) too little____ 2) about right____ 3) too much ____ 4) don't know ____
- Giving foreign aid to countries who are strategically important to
the US is a good idea because it ensures that they will stay friendly to us.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree somewhat___ 3) disagree___ 4) don't know___
- The US should be willing to share at least a small portion of its
wealth with those in the world who are in great need.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree somewhat___ 3) disagree___ 4) don't know___
- Because the world is so interconnected economically and
environmentally, we should help other countries to develop sustainably and become strong
trading partners.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree somewhat___ 3) disagree___ 4) don't know___
- As one of the world's rich nations, the US has a moral responsibility
toward poor nations to help them develop their economy and improve their people's lives.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree somewhat___ 3) disagree___ 4) don't know___
- Too much foreign aid goes to governments that are not very democratic
and have poor human rights records.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree somewhat___ 3) disagree___ 4) don't know___
- We should send aid to starving people irrespective of whether it will
promote the national interest.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree___ 3) disagree___ 4) strongly disagree___
- There is so much waste and corruption in the process of giving
foreign aid that very little aid actually reaches the people who really need it.
1) strongly agree___ 2) agree___ 3) disagree___ 4) don't know___
- Do you agree or not agree with the following statement: If I knew
that most foreign aid was going to poor people who really need it, rather than to wasteful
bureaucracies and corrupt governments, I would be willing to pay more in taxes for foreign
aid.
1) agree____ 2) disagree____ 3) don't know ____
- The US actually spends about 1% of the federal budget on foreign aid.
This means that the average taxpayer spends about $28.00 per year for federal foreign aid.
Would you be in favor of changing the amount you give in federal foreign aid in any of the
following ways?
1) increase a lot___ 2) increase somewhat___ 3) keep the same___ 4) cut somewhat___5) cut
a lot___ 6) don't know___
- The US spends about $3.6 billion dollars ( $6.80 a year per taxpayer,
out of the total $28.00 per year taxpayer foreign aid cost) for military aid, which
provides weapons for countries friendly to US interests. Would you favor:
1) increasing the amount a lot___ 2) increasing slightly___ 3) keeping the same___4)
cutting somewhat___ 5) cutting a lot ___ 6) don't know___
- For child survival programs to help feed poor children, combat
childhood diseases and provide pre-natal care, the US spends about 72 cents for the
average taxpayer. Would you favor:
1) increasing the amount a lot___ 2) increasing slightly___ 3) keeping the same___4)
cutting slightly___ 5) cutting a lot___ 6) don't know___
- For environmental aid to poor countries to help them preserve their
environment and reduce pollution, the US taxpayer pays $1.40 per year. Would you favor:
1) increasing that amount a lot___ 2) increasing somewhat ___ 3) keeping the same___4) cut
slightly___ 5) cut a lot___ 6) don't know___
- For aid to Israel and Egypt, which includes military and economic
aid, the average taxpayer pays $9.83 per year ($5.2 billion). Would you favor:
1) increasing this___ 2) keeping the same ___ 3) decreasing___ 4) don't know___
- For assistance to poor countries to help them improve their food
production, their basic health care, and their schools, the average taxpayer pays about
$8.70 per year ($4.6 billion).Would you favor:
1) increasing this___ 2) keeping the same___ 3) decreasing ___ 4) don't know___
- For aid to countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
making the transition from socialism to democracy and capitalism, the average taxpayer
pays $2.27 dollars per year. Would you favor:
1) increasing this___ 2) keeping the same___ 3) decreasing___ 4) don't know___
Adapted from: Steven Kull. The Americans and
Foreign Aid: A Study of American Public Attitudes.
Center for International Security Studies, University
of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1995.
Public Opinion Poll -
National Responses
Click here to view
poll questions
1. median - 5 mean - 4.3
2. 1) 75% 2) 4.2% 3) 17.4% 4) 3.4%
3. median - 15% mean - 18.1%
4. median - 5.4% mean - 8.4%
5. 1) 33.1% 2) 45.5% 3) 17.5% 4) 3.8%
6. 1) 15% 2) 30.1% 3) 51.4% 4) 3.5%
7. 1) 38.1% 2) 42.2% 3) 18.4% 4) 1.3%
8. 1) 24% 2) 38.9% 3) 34% 4) 1.3%
9. 1) 25% 2) 40.55 3) 32.4% 4) 1%
10. 1) 49.3% 2) 30.2% 3) 15.8% 4) 4.7%
11. 1) 40.4% 2) 35.9% 3) 10.6% 4) 10.6%
12. 1) 59.1% 2) 23.8% 3) 12.2% 4) 4.8%
13. 1) 57.6% 2) 40.5% 3) 1.9%
14. 1) 2.5% 2) 22.6% 3) 37.2% 4) 20.7% 5) 14.7 6) 2.2%
15. 1) 1.2% 2) 5.1% 3) 40.6% 4) 31.2% 5) 21% 6) .9%
16. 1) 21.3 % 2) 34.2% 3) 35.4% 4) 3.8% 5) 4.2% 6) 1.1%
17. 1) 13.4% 2) 24.1% 3) 41.4% 4) 10.6% 5) 9.5% 6) 1%
18, 1) 4.4% 2) 38% 3) 55.7% 4) 1.8%
19. 1) 29.3% 2) 46% 3) 23.6% 4) 1.3%
20. 1) 19.9% 2) 51.9% 3) 27.8% 4) .4%
Adapted from: Steven Kull. The Americans and Foreign
Aid: A Study of American Public Attitudes.
Center for International Security Studies,
University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 1995. |