Chapter 13 -- Solutions to poverty -- Norton Augus.pdf
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Chapter 13 -- Solutions to poverty -- Norton Augus.pdf

Chapter13--Solutionstopoverty--NortonAugust.pdf

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CHAPTER13ENDINGPOVERTYINAMERICAFinalDraft,August2009PovertyinthemidstofplentyisanindisputablefactofAmericanlife.NearlyeveryonefeelsthatinacountryasrichastheUnitedStates,thisposesamoralchallenge,particularlyinthecaseofchildrenlivinginpoverty.Americansmayendorseastronglyindividualisticethicinwhichpeopleshouldberesponsiblefortheirownwellbeingandmanymayfeelthatredistributionfromrichpoorissomehowaviolationoftherightofpeopletodowhattheylikewiththeirownmoney.Yetitstillseemsunjusteventomanyardentindividualiststhatchildrensufferbecauseofthepovertyoftheirparentssinceclearlychildrenarethemselvesnotresponsiblefortheirplight,andsomostpeoplebelievethatsomethingshouldbedone.Somethingshouldbedone,butwhat?Beforethe1960sthemostsignificantprogramdirectlydesignedtoreducepovertyintheUnitedStateswasoldagepensionsprovidedthroughsocialsecurity.Socialsecuritywasanextraordinarilysuccessfulprogram.Itbeganverymodestlyinthe1930sasoneofthereformsoftheNewDeal,andbytheendofthe20thcenturyithadalmosteliminatedacutepovertyamongtheelderly,particularlyaftermedicalcarefortheelderlywasaddedinthe1960s.Therewerealsosomeprogramsdirectedtowardschildren,butthesewerebadlyfundedandbyanyreasonablestandard,grosslyinadequate.Aspartofthe“GreatSociety”agendaofthe1960stherewasamajoreffortattacklingtheproblemofpoverty.LyndonJohnsondeclareda“waronpoverty”andlaunchedarangeofnewinitiatives.Themostimportantofthesewascalled“AidtoFamilieswithDependentChildren”,orAFDC,adramaticexpansionofanearlierprogramthatdatedfromthe1930s.Thiswasamoderatelygenerousprogramofincometransferstargetedtofamilieswithchildren.Whencombinedwithfoodstamps,medicalassistance,andvariouskindsofhousingsubsidiesithadasignificantimpactonthestandardoflivingofpoorchildren,evenifitfellfarshortofeliminatingpovertyitself.Thiswastheprogramthatcametobeknownas“welfare”.AFDCwaspassedinthelastperiodofvigorousliberalreforminthe20thcentury.Bythe1980swhenconservativepoliticswereintheascendency,welfareprogramslikeAFDCwereunderconcentrateda