Washington Post-Pew Research Center Poll

This poll was conducted for The Washington Post and the Pew Research Center by telephone September 22 to 25, 2011, among a random national sample of 1,000 adults, including users of both conventional and cellular phones. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by Princeton Survey Research Associates International (PSRAI) of Princeton, NJ.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. Some people think of American society as divided into two groups, the “haves” and the “have-nots,” while others think it’s incorrect to think of America that way. Do you, yourself, think of America as divided into haves and have-nots, or don’t you think of America that way?

              Yes,            No
             divided   No   opinion
9/25/11        45      52      2
4/26/10*       42      53      5
4/21/09        35      62      3
10/12/08       44      53      3
1/13/08        43      54      3
7/29/07        48      48      4
9/10/06        41      55      4
10/10/05       48      50      2
3/27/05        38      59      3
2/28/04        38      59      3
6/17/01        44      53      3
4/01/98**      39      59      2
7/01/88**      26      71      3
8/01/84***     31      61      8
*4/26/10 to 6/17/01: Pew Research Center
**Gallup ***CBS/NY Times

2. If you had to choose, which of these groups are you in, the haves or the have-nots?

                               Neither     No 
           Haves   Have-nots    (VOL.)   opinion
9/25/11     48        34          11        7
4/26/10*    45        36           9       10
4/21/09     48        36           7        9
10/12/08    47        38           8        7
1/13/08     50        34          10        6
7/29/07     45        34          13        8
9/10/06     52        29          10        9
10/10/05    47        38          11        4
3/27/05     48        34           8       10
2/28/04     59        27           7        7
6/01/01     52        32          10        6
4/01/98**   67        24           6        3
7/01/88**   59        17          15        9
*4/26/10 to 6/1/01: Pew Research Center
**Gallup

3. On the whole, do you think the Obama administration is (doing more to help the haves), (doing more to help the have-nots), or (it is treating both groups about the same)?

            Helping       Helping       About     Neither     No 
           the haves   the have-nots   the same    (VOL.)   opinion
9/25/11       15            29            45          4        7
4/21/09*       8            30            51          2        9
*Pew Research Center

Compare to George W. Bush:
2/01/04*      47             4            42          1        6
6/01/01       43             4            40          2       11
*Pew Global Attitudes

Compare to Reagan:
8/01/88*      49             4            39          2        6
*Gallup

4. On the whole, do you think the Republicans in Congress are (doing more to help the haves), (doing more to help the have-nots), or are they (treating both groups about the same)?

           Helping       Helping       About     Neither     No 
          the haves   the have-nots   the same    (VOL.)   opinion
9/25/11      47             7            32         4         9

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