Progressives Challenge Three-Decade Success of Work-Based Welfare Reform
The work-oriented safety net created by swapping AFDC for TANF thirty years ago has reduced child poverty, yet progressive forces keep contesting its merits.
Thirty years ago, welfare policy shifted from Aid to Families with Dependent Children to the work-focused Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, prompting warnings that child poverty would soar. In practice, the change coincided with a decline in child poverty rates and increased labor participation among single-parent households. Nonetheless, progressive groups continue to portray the reform as a failure, insisting that benefits should be unconditional.
The piece contends that this reinterpretation ignores the empirical evidence of success and endangers the progress made. It calls for renewed defense of the work-based safety net against ongoing political attacks. The author cites a colleague's analysis to reinforce the argument that the model remains effective after three decades.
Why it matters
Understanding the debate over welfare reform helps voters assess policies that affect child poverty and employment incentives.
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