The predicted incidence of poverty before and after government income transfers, the effectiveness of such transfers, and the distribution of children in one and two parent families are examined in this report on the trends in poverty since 1965. Included are a review of how the Reagan budget cuts will affect households with children and a…

The urban impacts of the Program for Better Jobs and Income, the recent but unsuccessful attempt to reform the welfare system, are analyzed in this paper. The proposed results of this program indicate that these urban impacts would have been minimal, but consistent with an urban policy that seeks to improve the economic viability of distressed…

Reports on a study indicating that most able-bodied heads of poor households demonstrate labor force attachment, but their employment tends to be intermittent, low-paying, or both. (Author/CH)

This paper argues that the U.S.'s experience during the economic boom of the 1990s, together with its choices concerning social welfare policies, imply that child poverty in the United States will be much higher than that in most European countries. It hypothesizes that Americans reveal their preferences about the extent of poverty they are…

A study of women who went off welfare between 1997 and 1998 (n=753, 693) showed that those with the most work involvement over the year had higher levels of financial and subjective well-being. Regardless of work involvement, substantial numbers reported serious economic difficulties and financial strain. Many still needed income supplements and…

This report addresses the sources and remedies for child poverty in the United States through a review of the effects of trends, policies, and changes in social relationships; and an analysis of data concerning poverty and children. An introduction sketches the present condition of children in poverty and the policies and attitudes of the past 30…

Comparison of samples of U.S. and Swedish children showed the proportion of children whose family income was below the poverty line was similar. Because all Swedish poor children received social transfers and transfers were more generous in Sweden, a much lower percentage of Swedish children were poor after transfers and taxes. (SK)

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act requires welfare recipients to look for work and has made it more difficult for nonworking recipients to remain on the welfare rolls. In addition, the economic boom of the 1990s and changes in federal and state policies have raised the net income gain associated with moving…

This longitudinal study investigated two issues regarding child poverty dynamics: whether long-run transitions out of poverty have changed and whether the events associated with exits from poverty have changed over time. The study contrasted mobility patterns of young children over the 1970s with patterns over the 1980s, examining which poor…

This paper describes the existing welfare system, outlines the problems with the system that have led to its being characterized as a "mess," and presents the principles on which Carter's reform proposals are based. It then analyzes the level and trend in poverty since 1965 and the anti-poverty effect of income maintenance programs in…

An overview of the level and distribution of income for a sample of Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs) during the period 1959-1969, using data on pretax pretransfer incomes published by the Internal Revenue Service, is presented in this paper. Several results are described. (1) The level and distribution of income vary widely among…

This paper presents facts to use in evaluating changes in incomes of families with children, focusing on the period from 1967-1984 and making comparisons with the preceeding two decades. Changes in average family income are examined, as well as income changes in a variety of socioeconomic groups. Comparisons are provided of current and past…

A recursive model that accounts for the variation in the level and distribution of family income across metropolitan areas is formulated and estimated in this paper. The model draws from both the human capital and the job competition theories of the labor market in the emphasis it places on the industrial structure of the metropolitan area. Then,…

The first part of this document summarizes the current state of knowledge on trends in inequality of economic well-being in the United States since World War II. It surveys alternative answers to the often asked question: Has inequality in the U.S. increased, decreased, or remained roughly the same over a period of time? Intelligent laymen, and…

This analysis of economic conditions in the United States challenges the view, emphasized during the 1994 Congressional elections, that restraining government social spending and reforming welfare should be the country's top domestic policy priority. It is argued instead that the major domestic priority should be to address an economic environment…