Means–Tested Transfer Programs in the United States (National Bureau of Economic Research Conference Report) - Hardcover

Moffitt, Robert A

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0226533565 ISBN 13: 9780226533568

Publisher: University of Chicago Press, 2003

Synopsis

U.S. government programs to aid the poor have long been controversial, with much debate centering on how much assistance should be offered and what forms it should take. This volume provides an overview of how such programs work.

About this title

About the Author

Robert A. Moffitt is a professor in the Department of Economics at Johns Hopkins University. He has edited or coedited several volumes concerning various aspects of the welfare system in the United States, most recentlyEvaluating Welfare Reform in an Era of Transition.

From the Inside Flap

Few United States government programs are as controversial as those designed to aid the poor. From tax credits to medical assistance, aid to needy families is surrounded by debate on what benefits should be offered, what forms they should take, and how they should be administered. The past few decades, in fact, have seen this debate lead to broad transformations of aid programs themselves, with Aid to Families with Dependent Children replaced by Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit growing from a minor program to one of the most important for low-income families, and Medicaid greatly expanding its eligibility.

This volume provides a remarkable overview of how such programs actually work, offering an impressive wealth of information on the nation's nine largest "means-tested" programs that is, those in which some test of income forms the basis for participation. For each program, contributors describe origins and goals, summarize policy histories and current rules, and discuss the recipient's characteristics as well as the different types of benefits they receive. Each chapter then provides an overview of scholarly research on each program, bringing together the results of the field's most rigorous statistical examinations.

The result is a fascinating portrayal of the evolution and current state of means-tested programs, one that charts a number of shifts in emphasis the decline of cash assistance, for instance, and the increasing emphasis on work. This exemplary portrait of the nation's safety net will be an invaluable reference for anyone interested in American social policy.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226533565
• ISBN 13: 9780226533568
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 656