Programs in Aid of the Poor

by Levitan, Sar A.; Mangum, Garth L.; Mangum, Stephen L.; Sum, Andrew M.

• ISBN13: 9780801871221
• ISBN10: 0801871220
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-04-11
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr
• More Book Details
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Summary

In 1964, Lyndon Johnson declared an "unconditional war on poverty," launching a variety of new antipoverty programs and enhancing existing ones. This war is still being fought. But with what success? And at what cost? Incorporating new data from the 2000 census, the eighth edition of Programs in Aid of the Poor provides an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of current federal programs aimed at alleviating poverty in the United States. The authors focus on programs that offer cash support, provide goods and services to poor people, address the well-being of children and youth, prepare young people to earn above-poverty incomes, and offer adults a second chance to earn their way out of poverty. They also discuss the definition of poverty, identify who the poor are, and generalize the causes of poverty. "To an extent," the authors find, "we have prosecuted our war against poverty the way Senator George Aiken of Vermont advised that we do in Vietnam: 'Declare victory and go home.' Yet the war against poverty has not been abandoned. Skirmishes continue, with widely fluctuating commitment." Co-authors Garth and Stephen Mangum and Andrew Sum have also prepared a companion volume, The Persistence of Poverty in the United States, analyzing the underlying causes of poverty and its persistence in America.

Author Biography

Sar A. Levitan (1914--1994) was research professor and director of the George Washington University Center for Social Policy Studies. He published sixteen books with Johns Hopkins, including Working but Poor (with Isaac Shapiro). Garth L. Mangum is Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Utah.Stephen L. Mangum is senior associate dean for academic programs in the Max M. Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University, Columbus. Andrew M. Sum is a professor of economics and director of the Center for Labor and Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Whither Programs in Aid of the Poor?	1	(42)
Defining and Measuring Poverty	1	(6)
Who Are the Poor?	7	(8)
Changing Geography of Poverty	15	(4)
Causes of Poverty	19	(7)
Durations of Poverty and Exit Rates from Poverty	26	(1)
Trends in Antipoverty Policy	27	(5)
Programs in Aid of the Poor	32	(3)
Scale of Antipoverty Efforts	35	(2)
Impact of Antipoverty Efforts	37	(1)
Whither Antipoverty Policy?	38	(5)
Cash Support Programs	43	(46)
Social Security Act	43	(14)
Public Assistance	57	(21)
Veterans' Benefits	78	(2)
Workers' Compensation	80	(1)
Taxing the Poor	81	(5)
The Role of Cash Support Programs	86	(3)
Provision of Services and Goods	89	(41)
Health Services	90	(24)
Food for the Poor	114	(8)
Social Services	122	(1)
Sustaining Community Action	123	(4)
Conclusion	127	(3)
Programs for the Next Generation	130	(37)
Unwed Births and Family Size	131	(9)
Child Welfare Services	140	(7)
Child Care	147	(7)
Child Support	154	(8)
Where from Here with Children and Youth?	162	(5)
Educating the Poor	167	(44)
Education as the Enemy of Poverty	167	(4)
Federal Education Policy as an Antipoverty Weapon	171	(3)
Bush Administration Intentions	174	(2)
Head Start	176	(3)
Elementary and Secondary Education	179	(11)
School-to-Work Initiative	190	(2)
Vocational and Technical Education	192	(3)
Special Programs	195	(3)
Postsecondary Education	198	(6)
A Youth Development Movement?	204	(3)
Investing in the Future Labor Force	207	(4)
A Second Chance for the Working Poor	211	(47)
Workforce Development Programs	212	(22)
Requiem for Employment and Training Programs?	234	(4)
A Second Chance for Other Groups	238	(8)
Educating Adults	246	(1)
Providing and Finding Jobs	247	(3)
Minimum Wages	250	(3)
Economic Development Programs	253	(3)
Conclusion	256	(2)
The Future of Antipoverty Programs	258	(35)
Content of the Antipoverty System	259	(1)
Political Response	260	(2)
Components of a Comprehensive Program	262	(27)
What Would It Cost?	289	(4)
Index	293