Sources of guidance on right and wrong among adults who say that government aid to the poor does more harm than good by state (2014) Switch to: State among adults who say that government aid to the poor does more harm than good by sources of guidance on right and wrong

% of adults who say that government aid to the poor does more harm than good who say they look to…most for guidance on right and wrong

StateReligionPhilosophy/reasonCommon senseScienceDon't knowSample size
Alabama53%5%36%2%4%262
Alaska34%5%48%8%4%135
Arizona39%7%41%13%< 1%325
Arkansas53%6%38%2%1%155
California34%10%45%9%2%1,423
Colorado41%11%40%5%2%227
Connecticut17%10%60%13%< 1%147
Delaware34%9%49%4%3%121
Florida34%9%50%6%1%953
Georgia49%6%38%5%2%460
Hawaii23%11%55%10%2%123
Idaho42%6%49%2%1%150
Illinois34%9%47%8%2%566
Indiana38%5%47%7%2%343
Iowa34%8%53%3%2%158
Kansas50%3%43%3%< 1%154
Kentucky43%6%47%2%2%216
Louisiana48%8%37%5%3%235
Maine21%7%65%5%2%125
Maryland37%7%47%6%3%254
Massachusetts18%12%56%13%1%248
Michigan37%8%48%6%1%425
Minnesota33%7%53%5%2%231
Mississippi54%8%30%7%1%157
Missouri42%9%42%4%2%312
Montana36%8%49%4%3%171
Nebraska41%7%46%5%1%156
Nevada32%7%49%10%3%143
New Hampshire18%9%63%9%2%108
New Jersey26%10%52%11%2%362
New Mexico52%2%34%11%1%131
New York27%9%55%7%2%748
North Carolina45%5%43%5%2%451
North Dakota35%6%52%6%1%179
Ohio36%10%47%5%2%526
Oklahoma41%8%45%4%2%190
Oregon34%8%52%4%1%158
Pennsylvania38%5%47%8%2%640
Rhode Island28%8%44%16%4%116
South Carolina56%5%32%4%3%227
South Dakota35%13%47%5%< 1%164
Tennessee50%5%39%4%2%339
Texas44%7%38%8%2%1,231
Utah50%6%36%6%2%164
Virginia41%6%45%7%1%412
Washington36%10%44%8%1%276
West Virginia53%6%38%2%< 1%144
Wisconsin40%7%47%4%2%299
Wyoming43%8%43%3%4%195
Sample sizes and margins of error vary from subgroup to subgroup, from year to year and from state to state. You can see the sample size for the estimates in this chart on rollover or in the last column of the table. And visit this table to see approximate margins of error for a group of a given size. Readers should always bear in mind the approximate margin of error for the group they are examining when making comparisons with other groups or assessing the significance of trends over time. For full question wording, see the survey questionnaire.

Learn More: Religion, Philosophy/reason, Common sense, Science