Poverty and wealth — variable results

Exploration digest for the survey stack behind book/poverty.md (Task 127 / Task 130). Grouped by topic; within each variable: question → time series → cohort trajectories → cohort component → period component with time-series overlay.

Coding: Policy and egalitarianism items use conservative y=1 (e.g. spend less on welfare / aid to the poor). Descriptive items (satfin, finrela, class, goodlife, parsol, dwelown, VCF0148) are substantive cuts, not left–right.

Full metadata: notebooks/utils.py. Ops: poverty_refresh.md.

Figure stems (Task 95 nested): figs/{gss|anes}/{var}/time_model.png, model10_cohort_trajectories.png, model10_cohort_standardized.png, model10_period_standardized[_time_series].png.

Layout template (Task 130 / 148): topic H2 → per-variable H3 with question + four figures. Regenerate with python scripts/gen_chapter_results_md.py poverty.

Welfare spending & affect¶

natfare — Welfare spending?¶

Selected (y=1): [3] — Percent saying too much

Question

Tell me whether you think we’re spending too much money on welfare, too little money, or about the right amount.

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

natfarey — Assistance to the poor?¶

Selected (y=1): [3] — Percent saying too much

Question

Tell me whether you think we’re spending too much money on assistance to the poor, too little money, or about the right amount.

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF0886 — Federal spending: aid to the poor?¶

Selected (y=1): [3] — Percent saying decrease aid to the poor

Question

Should federal spending on aid to the poor be increased, decreased, or kept about the same?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF0220 — Feeling thermometer: people on welfare¶

Selected (y=1): [0–49] — Percent cold/dislike

Question

Feeling thermometer: people on welfare.

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

Inequality & equal opportunity¶

eqwlth — Should govt reduce income differences?¶

Selected (y=1): [5, 6, 7] — Percent opposing reducing income differences (5–7)

Question

Some people think that the government in Washington ought to reduce the income differences between the rich and the poor, perhaps by raising the taxes of wealthy families or by giving income assistance to the poor. Others think that the government should not concern itself with reducing this income difference between the rich and the poor. Where would you place yourself on this scale (1 = government should reduce differences, 7 = government should not concern itself)?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF9013 — Society ensure equal opportunity?¶

Selected (y=1): [4, 5] — Percent disagreeing society should ensure equal opportunity

Question

Our society should do whatever is necessary to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. (Agree strongly … disagree strongly.)

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF9015 — Unequal chance a big problem?¶

Selected (y=1): [4, 5] — Percent disagreeing unequal chance is a big problem

Question

One of the big problems in this country is that we don’t give everyone an equal chance. (Agree strongly … disagree strongly.)

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF9016 — OK if some have more chance?¶

Selected (y=1): [1, 2] — Percent agreeing unequal chance is not a big problem

Question

It is not really that big a problem if some people have more of a chance in life than others. (Agree strongly … disagree strongly.)

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF9017 — Worry less about equality?¶

Selected (y=1): [1, 2] — Percent agreeing we should worry less about equality

Question

This country would be better off if we worried less about how equal people are. (Agree strongly … disagree strongly.)

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

Government economic role¶

VCF0809 — Guaranteed jobs and income?¶

Selected (y=1): [5, 6, 7] — Percent favoring let each person get ahead (5–7)

Question

Some people feel that the government in Washington should see to it that every person has a job and a good standard of living. Others think the government should just let each person get ahead on their own. Where would you place yourself on this scale (1 = government see to job and good standard of living, 7 = let each person get ahead on their own)?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF0839 — Government services vs spending?¶

Selected (y=1): [1, 2, 3] — Percent favoring fewer government services (1–3)

Question

Some people think the government should provide fewer services, even in areas such as health and education, in order to reduce spending. Other people feel it is important for the government to provide many more services even if it means an increase in spending. Where would you place yourself on this scale (1 = many fewer services, 7 = many more services)?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF0806 — Government health insurance?¶

Selected (y=1): [5, 6, 7] — Percent favoring private health insurance (5–7)

Question

There is much concern about the rapid rise in medical and hospital costs. Some feel there should be a government insurance plan which would cover all medical and hospital expenses. Others feel that medical expenses should be paid by individuals and through private insurance. Where would you place yourself on this scale (1 = government insurance plan, 7 = private insurance plan)?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

Mobility & merit¶

getahead — Get ahead by hard work?¶

Selected (y=1): [1] — Percent saying hard work most important

Question

Some people say that people get ahead by their own hard work; others say that lucky breaks or help from other people are more important. Which do you think is most important?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

goodlife — Good chance of improving living standard?¶

Selected (y=1): [1, 2] — Percent agreeing living standard can improve

Question

The way things are in America, people like me and my family have a good chance of improving our standard of living — do you agree or disagree?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

parsol — Living standard vs parents?¶

Selected (y=1): [1, 2] — Percent saying better than parents

Question

Compared to your parents when they were the age you are now, do you think your own standard of living now is much better, somewhat better, about the same, somewhat worse, or much worse than theirs was?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

Class, finances & housing¶

class — Subjective social class?¶

Selected (y=1): [2] — Percent identifying as working class

Question

If you were asked to use one of four names for your social class, which would you say you belong in: the lower class, the working class, the middle class, or the upper class?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

VCF0148 — Subjective social class?¶

Selected (y=1): [0, 1, 2, 3] — Percent lower or working class

Question

There’s been some talk these days about different social classes. Most people say they belong either to the middle class or the working class. Do you ever think of yourself as belonging in one of these classes? Which one?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

finrela — Family income vs American families?¶

Selected (y=1): [1, 2] — Percent saying below or far below average

Question

Compared with American families in general, would you say your family income is far below average, below average, average, above average, or far above average?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

satfin — Satisfied with financial situation?¶

Selected (y=1): [1] — Percent pretty well satisfied

Question

We are interested in how people are getting along financially these days. So far as you and your family are concerned, would you say that you are pretty well satisfied with your present financial situation, more or less satisfied, or not satisfied at all?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)

dwelown — Own or rent home?¶

Selected (y=1): [1] — Percent who own or are buying

Question

(Do you/Does your family) own your (home/apartment), pay rent, or what?

Time series

Cohort trajectories

Cohort component

Period component (with time series)