The Next Round of Welfare Reform

The winter 2018 issue of Pathways examines whether the welfare reform of 1996 delivered as intended and whether it’s time to undertake a new round of reform. 

Table of Contents (Winter 2018)

Editors' Note
Past, Present, and Future of Welfare
The inside architects of welfare reform reflect on how the revolution happened, what it achieved, and what remains to be done.
The Unsuccessful Family Experiment
For those who believe that the welfare reform bill was mainly oriented toward promoting work, it might be surprising to learn that the bill begins with this line: “Marriage is the foundation of a successful society.” How did the grand plan to save the family work out?
The Kids Are All Right
How are our children doing? Are the doom-and-gloomers right?
Did Welfare Reform Increase Employment and Reduce Poverty?
The welfare reform bill aimed to reduce dependence on welfare and increase self-sufficiency. A simple question: Did it work?
Welfare Reform and the Families It Left Behind
What is welfare reform’s biggest failure? Find out here.
State Policy Choices
The welfare reform of 1996 was conceived as an experiment with radical decentralization of policy. How is that experiment faring?
A New Social Compact
Where should we go from here? We close with three very different diagnoses ... and three very different prescriptions.