The survey comes as the Obama Administration faces strong opposition to its proposals to cut subsidies, particularly from farm states, but the poll results show that 61 percent of Americans actually favor the cuts. The results showed little difference between Republicans (62 percent) and Democrats (60 percent).

About eighty percent of farm subsidies go to large farming businesses.

However, 77 percent of Americans support subsidies to small farms of under 500 acres.

Farm subsidies are provided on a regular annual basis, regardless of whether the year was successful for the farm or not. But only a small number of those polled thought subsidies should be provided on this basis – 15 percent supported annual subsidies for large farms and 37 percent for small farms.

Director of WorldPublicOpinion.org Steven Kull said: "Clearly, U.S. policy on farm subsidies is far out of step with the preferences of the American public. The vast majority of U.S. subsidies go to large farming businesses on a regular annual basis. However only one in three Americans approve of subsidies to large farming businesses and less than one in six approve doing so on a regular annual basis."