America’s Struggle Against Poverty in the Twentieth Century : Enlarged Edition

This new edition of Patterson's widely used book carries the story of battles over poverty and social welfare through what the author calls the "amazing 1990s," those years of extraordinary performance of the economy. He explores a range of issues arising from the economic phenomenon—increasing inequality and demands for use of an improved poverty definition. He focuses the story on the impact of the highly controversial welfare reform of 1996, passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democratic President Clinton, despite the laments of anguished liberals. Herbert Stein - Fortune [Patterson's] perspective on poverty continues to be an influential one in the debate about which policies help and which hurt the poor ... Readers will be reminded of many things they had forgotten, will learn some things they never knew, and will be provoked to new questions. Contents ......Page 14 Part I. The Preventive Impulse, 1900-1930......Page 18 1. Snapshots of the Poor......Page 20 2. The Gospel of Prevention, Progressive Style......Page 36 Part II. Coping and Rehabilitation, 1930-1960......Page 52 3. The Poor in the Depression......Page 54 4. The Early Welfare State......Page 72 5. Withering Away......Page 93 Part III. Doors to Opportunity, 1960-1965......Page 112 6. The Rediscovery of Poverty......Page 114 7. A Culture of Poverty?......Page 129 8. Girding for War on Poverty......Page 139 9. OEO: A Hand Up, Not a Handout......Page 155 Part IV. The Unsung Revolution, 1965-1973......Page 168 10. The Revolution in Social Welfare......Page 170 11. The Welfare Explosion......Page 183 12. Floors and Doors......Page 196 13. Stalemate......Page 210 14. Regression in the Early 1980s......Page 221 15. Welfare Reform: No Consensus......Page 234 16. The Amazing 1990s ......Page 251 Notes......Page 262 Resources......Page 319 Index ......Page 322 "This new edition of Patterson's widely used book carries the story of battles over poverty and social welfare through what the author calls the "amazing 1990s," those years of extraordinary performance of the economy. He explores a range of issues arising from the economic phenomenon -- increasing inequality and demands for use of an improved poverty definition. He focuses the story on the impact of the highly controversial welfare reform of 1996, passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Democratic President Clinton, despite the laments of anguished liberals. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET