August 15, 2026
The Ongoing Battle to Defend Welfare Reform
Welfare reform replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families…
August 12, 2026
The Misleading Narrative About the ‘Hollowing Out’ of the Middle Class
The prevailing media narrative after years of mounting economic inequality is that the middle class…
August 8, 2026
Thirty Years Later, Welfare Reform Is Still a Model That Works
The real lesson of the 1996 law remains that there is a better way for Americans in need, if only today’s lawmakers match their forebears in choosing it.
July 30, 2026
Paying for Payment Errors: State Incentives and Caseload Responses to SNAP Cost Sharing
Abstract Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) caseloads declined by 10% nationally from June 2025 to…
July 29, 2026
Comment on CMS-2454-IFC: Clarifying “Household” for the SNAP Exclusion from the Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement
Comment on Interim Final Rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of…
July 28, 2026
SNAP’s New Cost Share Requirement Is a Blunt, But Necessary Tool
Last month, the US Department of Agriculture released the most recent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…
July 24, 2026
Lessons from the 1996 Welfare Reform Law Approaching Its 30th Anniversary
The actual effects of the law—especially in promoting more work and earnings and less poverty and welfare dependence—exceeded what even some of the law’s strongest advocates anticipated.
July 24, 2026
Family Structure, a Key Factor Hidden in Plain Sight: The Case for Federal Reporting in Education
The government often leaves out a critical factor in its public reporting to help us understand what drives child outcomes in student learning, health, and economic security: family structure.
July 16, 2026
The End of the Food Security Supplement in the Current Population Survey: Next Steps
Abstract Since 1996, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published an annual report on…
July 11, 2026
Trump Takes Dramatic Step Toward Curbing Rampant Fraud in State Unemployment Programs
The Trump administration is threatening to use “every available enforcement tool” to compel states to better protect unemployment benefits against fraud and abuse.
July 9, 2026
How to Strengthen the Climb From the Safety Net
Executive summary Wisconsin has long benefited from low poverty rates and relatively high labor force…
June 29, 2026
Discussing Medicaid work requirements: Corinth on C-SPAN’s ‘Washington Journal’
Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility Deputy Director Kevin Corinth discusses Medicaid work requirements on…