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)
The inside architects of welfare reform reflect on how the revolution happened, what it achieved, and what remains to be done.
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?
How are our children doing? Are the doom-and-gloomers right?
The welfare reform bill aimed to reduce dependence on welfare and increase self-sufficiency. A simple question: Did it work?
What is welfare reform’s biggest failure? Find out here.
The welfare reform of 1996 was conceived as an experiment with radical decentralization of policy. How is that experiment faring?
Where should we go from here? We close with three very different diagnoses ... and three very different prescriptions.