Salt of the Earth: Poll finds foreign aid climbing in popularity

Stat house
March 2001

Poll finds foreign aid climbing in popularity
Americans overwhelmingly think their government should provide foreign aid to poor countries, and a majority would pay more in taxes each year to cut world hunger, says a survey released in February.

The study, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted by the University of Maryland's Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA), demonstrates a dramatic shift in public opinion. Just six years ago, a similar PIPA survey found that 64 percent favored cutting foreign aid. The latest results report only 40 percent favor such a cut back.

The increased support for foreign aid comes despite the fact that Americans continue to overestimate the percentage of the federal budget allocated to foreign aid. On average, respondents estimated that foreign aid makes up 24 percent of the budget; it actually accounts for less than 1 percent. In 1995 respondents were closer, estimating 15 percent, but the actual number was less than 1 percent then as well.

According to the current survey, Americans particularly favor foreign aid to fight hunger and disease. Of those polled, 87 percent said they support food and medical assistance to people in poor countries. More than 8 in ten (83 percent) thought the United States should commit to an international plan to cut world hunger in half by 2015. Seventy-five percent said they would pay $50 a year to support such a program.

Yet most thought foreign aid should not end with food and medicine. More than 70 percent said the United States should help poor countries develop their economies and become self-sufficient. A majority of respondents also favored using aid to discourage countries from developing nuclear weapons but disapproved of donating money to increase U.S. foreign influence.

Respondents were divided over whether private organizations and individuals should shoulder the responsibility for most foreign aid: 54 percent thought helping foreign countries is a proper role for the U.S. government while 43 percent would rather see charities step up their activities. Nearly 70 percent said they would pay higher taxes to cut world hunger, however.

The Christian anti-hunger lobby Bread for the World pointed to the PIPA study in calling on Congress to increase foreign aid. "Many members of Congress mistakenly believe that Americans are overwhelmingly against foreign aid and don't care about hungry and poor people overseas," President David Beckmann said. "This poll shows us that is not true."

Bread for the World supports a substantial boost in foreign aid for hunger programs, including $1 billion to Africa. "In this poll Americans say they want to end hunger and are more than willing to pay their share," Beckmann said.

The PIPA study was conducted in November 2000. It included a random selection of 901 American adults. The margin of error was +/- 3.5 to 4 percent. —Anne Graber
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