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March 5, 2026
Summary and Analysis of the “Stop Unemployment Fraud Act”
…unemployment benefit spending in response to the Great Recession, the most serious economic crisis since the 1930s. It is critical that lawmakers recognize the program flaws and policy mistakes…
January 27, 2026
How to Prevent a Repeat of Massive Fraud and Abuse
…this system that can be targeted to improve administration. Current federal tax revenues—which are meant to support administrative costs, among other program purposes—are consistently greater than what lawmakers provide states…
December 29, 2025
To restore hope for families in poverty, let states lead on welfare reform
…of America’s social welfare system is that it works against two critical factors for families wanting to escape poverty: work and marriage. With help from federal lawmakers, state leaders can…
December 23, 2025
The Policy Lessons from Minnesota’s Massive Welfare Fraud
…tax credits, extended, expanded, and far more widely available unemployment checks, and much more. Liberal lawmakers have introduced legislation to make permanent some of the now-expired pandemic expansions. No one…
December 2, 2025
What To Do About Benefit Cliffs?
…reforms that program administrators and policymakers can implement within the existing system to offer relief to families facing benefit cliffs. Often, that doesn’t require legislation, just administrative action by federal…
December 2, 2025
Stranded by the Safety Net: How to Fix the Benefit Cliff Problem
…for policymakers wanting to address benefit cliffs and reduce the associated work disincentives. Executive Summary The US safety net should help low-income families meet their immediate needs while supporting their…
November 20, 2025
When help holds families back
…negatively affect participants’ decisions about whether to wed. The cash conundrum A natural reaction to the perception that families are struggling is to increase public support. Populist policymakers have responded…
November 10, 2025
The Welfare Program You Never Heard About During the Shutdown
…large part because it continued to pay full benefits as scheduled. The reasons why offer important policy lessons for how lawmakers could make food stamps and other benefit programs more…
September 24, 2025
Subsidized Housing and Upward Mobility
…trade-offs.” Policymakers would do well to take note of the tradeoffs associated with a flat-rent policy and attempt to mitigate their downsides when crafting and negotiating potential reforms. A final…
September 23, 2025
Why the USDA Is Justified in Ending the Food Security Survey
…people reporting hunger at times because they could not afford food. Policymakers and the media often conflate these broader food insecurity conditions with hunger, distorting the true picture of hunger…