I just read this article in the HuffPost about it, and it seems that Republicans and Democrats feel very differently about this, and that white Christians, in particular, are more likely to blame the poor for being poor.
I am writing this not to condemn people who feel differently from me. Like you, I've known people who gamed the system, and I know people whose backgrounds meant they never had a chance, and I don't think any of us would say "all of the poor" were to blame for their condition--or that "none" were.
Here's the article link, and a quote, and I will tell you what my opinion is and why.
Christians Are More Likely To Say It's Poor People's Own Fault That They're Poor
My feelings, that they aren't responsible, is based on my life experience.
Evaluating applicants for Habitat for Humanity houses, for example, has shown me what it's like for poor people to buy a car...or go to a hospital....
One person worked in a factory for 20 years---and after she lost her job her new job paid 25% less (and her old job didn't pay great.)
Car loans have disastrous interest rates. People go to emergency rooms and when they haven't made a payment in a few years their medical debt is erased. Of course, their credit is still shot for years..do you know that people with better credit ratings pay less for homeowners' and car insurance?
If they live in small towns (or the inner city) there are no inexpensive places to shop, because they aren't high-profit areas for people to do business in. People with higher incomes get all sorts of incentives and freebies that poor people don't because wealthier people have more bargaining power.
I consider myself comfortable, not wealthy, but last year we had two free plane trips, about $500 in credit card rebates, etc. We buy a lot of things on credit and pay our bills every month...we recently bought a car and got $1400 off from GM card credits (5 points per dollar).
More comfortable people live in areas with better schools for their children. And when their children graduate, their parents often have friends or family who will help them get their foot in the door in big companies.
I have never had to drive a car with a broken windshield for a year because I couldn't afford a new one. My comprehensive insurance took care of that.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. If we were to fill an imaginary "basket" with goods and services, exactly equal, it would cost a poor person much more than a middle class one, and even more for a wealthy one.
It makes me feel bad--