---
title: "Government Responsible for Care of Needy"
description: "A majority of Americans (57%) mostly or completely agree that it is the responsibility of government to \"take care of people who can't take care of themselves\" -- however only 19% completely agree.  "
date: "2008-11-07"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2008/11/07/government-responsible-for-care-of-needy/"
---

# Government Responsible for Care of Needy

A majority of Americans (57%) mostly or completely agree that it is the responsibility of government to “take care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” a Pew survey finds, although only 19% completely agree. Support for this proposition varies inversely with income: 52% of self-identified upper-class agree compared with 56% of middle-class and 66% of lower-class Americans. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/793/inside-the-middle-class)