Public Misperception of Poverty Alleviation Program Policies

This article aims to explore the public misperception regarding the policy of the People with Social Welfare Problems (PMKS) by the Indonesian government. There was a view in the community that various efforts made by the government were the only way out of poverty. The data collection was conducted through observation, interviews, and documentation studies. The data analysis indicated that the public's perception of the PMKS service program policy was only limited to the short-term benefits of the program and is pragmatic. To escape  the poverty the poor only awaited for government policies without having willingness from within the poor to change. This study only covered three areas in East Java. Therefore a more advanced study with greater sample size is needed.