---
title: "2. Americans’ views of government aid to poor, role in health care and Social Security"
description: "Majorities of Americans see a role for government on several safety net issues. Views on the effect of government aid to the poor A majority of Americans (55%) say that, overall, government aid to the poor does more good than harm, while about four-in-ten (43%) say it does more harm than good. Republicans and Republican-leaning […]"
date: "2024-06-24"
authors:
  - name: "Reem Nadeem"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/24/americans-views-of-government-aid-to-poor-role-in-health-care-and-social-security/"
categories:
  - "Election 2024"
  - "Federal Government"
  - "Government Spending & the Deficit"
  - "Health Care"
  - "Partisanship & Issues"
  - "Social Security & Medicare"
  - "Trust in Government"
---

# 2. Americans’ views of government aid to poor, role in health care and Social Security

Majorities of Americans see a role for government on several safety net issues.

[![Chart shows Republicans and Democrats continue to diverge over government aid to poor](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/PP_2024.6.24_role-of-government_2-01.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=179271)

- 65% say the government has a responsibility to ensure all Americans have health care coverage.

- 55% say government aid to the poor does more good than harm.

- 79% say Social Security benefits should not be reduced in any way.

### Views on the effect of government aid to the poor

A majority of Americans (55%) say that, overall, government aid to the poor does more good than harm, while about four-in-ten (43%) say it does more harm than good.

Republicans and Republican-leaning independents continue to be critical of government aid to the poor:

- 65% say government aid does more harm than good, while 34% say it does more good than harm.

- However, the share of Republicans saying government aid has a positive effect is up 6 percentage points since 2022.

As in past years, about three-quarters of Democrats (76%) say government aid to the poor has an overall positive effect (23% say it does more harm).

[![Chart shows Support for additional aid to the needy, even if it adds to the national debt, drops off from pandemic levels](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/PP_2024.6.24_role-of-government_2-02.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=179272)

About half of Americans (52%) now say the government should do more to help the needy, even if it means going deeper into debt. By comparison, 45% say the government can’t afford to do much more to help the needy.

Support for doing more to help those in need, even if the debt increases, is 6 percentage points lower than it was in June 2020, in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- About seven-in-ten Democrats (72%) say the government should do more to help the needy, down from 79% who said the same in 2020.

- A far smaller share of Republicans – 33% – say the government should do more even if it leads to additional debt. Views among Republicans are largely unchanged since 2020.

#### Government assistance to people in need

[![Chart shows Younger adults, Black Americans and Democrats are most likely to say government should provide more assistance to people in need](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/PP_2024.6.24_role-of-government_2-03.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=179273)

About four-in-ten Americans (41%) say the government should provide *more* assistance to people in need, while about a quarter say it should provide *less* (27%). Three-in-ten say the government is providing about the right amount of assistance.

Like other attitudes about social safety net policies, there are wide partisan differences.

**Six-in-ten Democrats say the government should provide more assistance to people in need.** Just one-in-ten say it should provide less, while three-in-ten say the current level is about right.

By comparison,** 46% of Republicans say the government should provide *less* assistance,** while 21% say it should provide more.Three-in-ten say the government is providing the right amount of assistance.

There are other demographic differences:

- Two-thirds of Black adults say the government should provide more assistance to people in need, while smaller shares of Asian (40%), Hispanic (39%) and White (37%) adults say the same.

- Younger adults are more likely than older adults to say the government should provide more assistance.

- A majority of lower-income adults (56%) say the government should provide more assistance. Smaller shares of middle- (36%) and upper-income (31%) adults say the same.

### Views on government’s role in health care

About two-thirds of Americans (65%) say it is the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, while roughly a third (34%) say it does not.

[![Chart shows Higher shares of Republicans now say health care is up to the federal government](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/PP_2024.6.24_role-of-government_2-04.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=179274)

Americans are slightly more likely to say it is the government’s responsibility to ensure health care coverage for all than they were a few years ago (62% in 2021). While Democratic opinion has not changed over this period, the share of Republicans who say government has this responsibility has grown.

- Four-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents now say it is the government’s responsibility to ensure health care coverage for all, up from 32% who said this in 2022. Six-in-ten say it is *not* the government’s responsibility, down from 68% who said the same three years ago.

- Democrats and Democratic leaners overwhelmingly hold the view that the government has a responsibility to ensure health care coverage: 88% say this. Democrats’ views on this question are largely unchanged in recent years.

#### Views by party and income

Majorities of adults at all income levels say the government is responsible for ensuring health care coverage. However, lower-income adults (73%) are more likely than upper- (63%) or middle-income (62%) adults to say this.

[![Chart shows Wide income gap among Republicans in views of government’s responsibility to ensure health care coverage](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/PP_2024.6.24_role-of-government_2-05.png?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=179275)

Among Republicans, there are differences within income groups on whether government is responsible for ensuring all Americans have health care coverage:

- 56% of lower-income Republicans say it is the government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, including about a quarter (24%) who say this should be done through a single national government program.

- Middle-income (36%) and upper-income Republicans (29%) are far less likely to say the government has a responsibility to ensure people have health care coverage. Majorities in both of these groups say it is *not* the government’s responsibility.

By comparison, more than eight-in-ten Democrats across all income levels say the government is responsible for ensuring all Americans have health care coverage.

- Overall, about half of Democrats (53%) say this should be done through a single national government program. About six-in-ten upper-income (57%) and middle-income (58%) Democrats say this, compared with about four-in-ten lower-income Democrats (43%).

### Views on the future of Social Security

Americans overwhelmingly (79%) say Social Security benefits should not be reduced in any way, including four-in-ten who say it should cover more people with greater benefits. Roughly two-in-ten (19%) say some future reductions need to be considered.

[![Chart shows Overwhelming majority of Americans are against reducing Social Security benefits](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/06/PP_2024.6.24_role-of-government_2-06.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=179276)

**Wide majorities of both Republicans and Democrats do not support Social Security benefit reductions:** 77% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats say Social Security benefits should not be reduced in any way.

However, Democrats (51%) are more likely than Republicans (29%) to say Social Security should be expanded.

Across demographic groups there is broad opposition to Social Security benefit cuts. But there are more sizable differences in support for expanding benefits:

- Black (58%) and Hispanic (51%) adults are more likely than White (33%) and Asian (38%) adults to say benefits should be expanded.

- Older adults are less likely than those in other age groups to say benefits should be *expanded* to cover more people with greater benefits: 26% of those 65 and older say this. By comparison, adults under 30 (51%) are most likely to favor expansion.

- Lower-income adults are the most supportive of expanding Social Security benefits: 53% say this, compared with 39% of those in middle-income families and 23% of upper-income adults.

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**Next:** [3. Americans’ trust in federal government and attitudes toward it](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/24/americans-trust-in-federal-government-and-attitudes-toward-it.md)