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HUNGER MESSAGE PROJECT FINDING #12 Message of self-sufficiency is essential Personal responsibility is lies at the heart of American public opinion on hunger and poverty issues and should be a component of any message about hunger, along with the resources needed to succeed. When asked who should take the most responsibility to improve a poor and hungry person’s situation, voters in 2006 overwhelmingly said “the person themselves,” followed distantly by “the federal government”.
Voters readily acknowledge the importance of assistance to hungry people, but they are also keenly aware that the ultimate goal is for such programs to be unnecessary. The 2006 poll found that voters strongly favor messages that include the importance of self-sufficiency.
In the international arena, a plurality of voters (38%) said that the most effective way to fight hunger in other countries was to “help farmers in poor countries produce more food.” This is not to suggest that voters are not supportive of assistance programs, only that they must be coupled with other initiatives that work towards a comprehensive and sustainable solution. Concerns about sustainability and economic prosperity are also evident in questions that test the best way to describe hunger programs. While “programs that feed hungry people” and “programs that improve nutrition” do passably well (about 12% each), 54% of voters believe that the top priority should be given to “programs that reduce hunger and poverty.” While hunger is seen as a more pressing need, voters understand that there can be no long-term solution to hunger without a solution to poverty.
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