News Release

August 1, 2003

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The Poverty of Welfare
The System Isn't Reformed Enough

The 1996 Welfare Reform Act was the most important change in federal welfare policy in 30 years. While it was a step in the right direction, author and welfare expert Michael D. Tanner argues in his new book, The Poverty of Welfare: Helping Others in Civil Society, that we still have a long way to go to fix the deeply troubled system.

Despite a dramatic drop in the welfare rolls, millions of people are still dependent on transfer payments rather than paychecks. In place of government programs, Tanner proposes a two-pronged approach. First, undo the shackles of regulation and taxation that have been placed on the economy and allow it to grow, thereby providing jobs for those who are able to work. And second, rely on private charities to aid those who can't work or are temporarily between jobs.

As Tanner writes, "civil society is a more effective and compassionate way to help lift the poor out of poverty. After all, that should be our goal -- not to preserve a welfare system, reformed or otherwise, but to create a society that ensures every American has the opportunity to achieve all that they can, and where poverty is a rare and temporary condition."