Defending Ideas, The Sutherland Institute
June 23, 2026
Congress is considering a major anti-poverty reform: giving states more flexibility to redesign welfare and social safety net programs.
In this episode, AEI Senior Fellow Angela Rachidi joins host Nic Dunn to discuss benefit cliffs, the Upward Mobility Act, and whether state-led innovation could help more families achieve self-reliance through things like empowerment accounts.
July 16, 2026 | Angela Rachidi and Craig Gundersen
Abstract Since 1996, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published an annual report on...
July 11, 2026 | Matt Weidinger
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 | Matt Weidinger
Promises of vast new work-free benefits seem somewhere between a believe-it-when-I-see-it vision and just the latest liberal plan to expand an already-bloated welfare state.
July 9, 2026 | Angela Rachidi
Executive summary Wisconsin has long benefited from low poverty rates and relatively high labor force...