Public Opinion on Poverty,Income Inequality and Public Policy: 1996-2001
The conventional wisdom used to explain why the United States has failed to adopt comprehensive anti-poverty measures has been that the public "hates the poor" and blames them for failing get ahead. This review of public opinion over the last five years reveals that the public's views are both more complex and supportive than is generally assumed.
http://www.demos-usa.org/Pubs/POReport/default.asp?page=/Pubs/POReport/conclusion.htm