January 9, 2017
Are Most Poor People Incapable of Work?
A recent blog post by the Hamilton Project describes the poor population (as defined by the official…
January 1, 2017
A Safety Net That Works: Improving Federal Programs for Low-Income Americans
Despite reductions in material hardship, many Americans believe that progress against poverty has been limited and that upward mobility remains difficult. Much of the improvement in living standards for low-income families has come from government assistance rather than increased earnings from work, contributing to dissatisfaction with current antipoverty efforts. A more effective approach would emphasize employment for able-bodied adults, stable two-parent families, and a safety net that reduces hardship while supporting work. Improving federal assistance programs therefore requires understanding how they function and reforming them to better promote earnings and upward mobility.
October 28, 2016
Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security—A Consensus Plan for Reducing Poverty and Restoring the American Dream
As anyone who has followed the presidential campaign will attest, this is a depressing moment…
June 8, 2016
Ryan’s Anti-Poverty Plan an Excellent Start
Before becoming speaker of the House, Paul Ryan set out to show that he cared…
March 15, 2016
Work Rules Benefit Many SNAP Recipients
Over the past several months, the reinstatement (or pending reinstatement) of work requirements in the…
October 29, 2015
Work and Family: The Keys to Reducing Poverty
Chairman Price, Ranking Member Van Hollen, and other distinguished members of the committee, thank you…
August 11, 2015
Why It’s Not yet Time to Relax TANF Work Requirements
Congress seems poised to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program this year….
April 17, 2015
It’s Time to Reinstate the SNAP Work Requirements
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to almost 23 million households and…
April 21, 2014
10 Welfare Reform Lessons
New York City’s welfare system is managed out of a boxy 25-story office building on…
April 14, 2014
What New York City Can Teach America About Fighting Poverty
It may seem odd, given the generally liberal politics of the workers there (not to…
March 26, 2014
Fighting Poverty the Bloomberg Way
I spent seven years running New York City’s welfare programs for former mayor Michael Bloomberg,…