Poverty in the United States: 50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week released a report documenting the United States’ progress in reducing poverty through safety net programs since 1964 – the year President Johnson declared a “war on poverty.” Poverty in the United States: 50-Year Trends and Safety Net Impacts measures the impact of anti-poverty programs such as Pell Grants, the Earned Income Tax Grant, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Medicare Part D. The authors argue that the findings demonstrate “the clear positive impact of the evolving social safety net on the economic well-being of individuals and families during the past 50 years.”