Welfare Policy - Political Parties and Stances

Democrats tend to be supportive of welfare programs, while Republicans are less supportive. The Democratic Party platform expresses support for welfare programs such as Social Security and condemns Republican proposals to cut funding for welfare programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. Meanwhile, the Republican platform articulate opposition to the expansion of welfare programs and expresses concern that they create a culture of dependency. Polling indicates that Republicans are more willing to cut funding for welfare programs than Democrats are; 55% of Republicans would cut welfare spending in order to reduce budgetary deficits. Meanwhile, 84% of Democrats would prioritize maintaining welfare spending over deficit reduction.