Scholar Douglas J. Besharov

American welfare reform is best known for reducing the benefit rolls by 65 per cent and for sending millions of mothers out to work. But did the poor benefit? And what about those still on the rolls? What are the next steps in fighting welfare dependency and long-term poverty? Do the new earnings subsidies discourage work and marriage? And, has an entirely new expansion of government transfer payments been triggered?

Almost twelve years ago, U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a landmark 1996 welfare reform law. Most American politicians (on the left as well as the right) say that the changes have been a great success--and that's what the public believes. After all, welfare caseloads have fallen by an astounding 65 per cent since the reform efforts began.

But even as a strong supporter of tougher welfare policies, I find it difficult to muster unqualified enthusiasm for either the law's implementation or its impact. For now, welfare reform deserves only two cheers. Not bad for a historic change in policy, but not good enough for us to be even close to satisfied. Let me explain. . . .

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Douglas J. Besharov is the Joseph J. and Violet Jacobs Scholar in Social Welfare Studies at AEI.