Welfare Reform Turns 10: A Look Back, A Look Ahead

On August 22, 1996, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the most extensive reform of the nation’s welfare laws since the Great Society. Ten years later, welfare rolls have declined dramatically, but poverty and long‐​term dependence on government programs persist. A panel of leading experts will look back at welfare reform successes and failures and forward to ask what the future of welfare reform holds.