AEI.Org: Scholar: Douglas J. Besharov

Not Enough "Change" in the Stimulus Bill

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The stimulus package's provisions concerning education may weaken Obama's reform agenda for years to come.

Two Cheers for American Welfare Reform

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Welfare reform has done fairly well for a historic change in policy, but not good enough for us to be even close to satisfied.

The New Kindergarten

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Universal pre-K is caught in the midst of middle-class and interest-group politics. As usual, the most disadvantaged children may lose out.

The Right Kind of Hand Up

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Six principles should be considered for a sensitive and conservative approach to social policy.

The Rio Grande Rises

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0100

As a group, Hispanics are enjoying substantial economic progress.

End Welfare Lite as We Know It

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Although welfare reform reduced welfare dependency, a great deal of dependency is now diffused and hidden within larger social welfare programs.

Poor America

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 +0100

How would changing the poverty line affect the country's poor?

There's More Welfare to Reform

Sat, 06 Mar 2004 00:00:00 +0100

The question of whether there should be more federal aid for child care should be reviewed on its own merits, not under the guise of welfare reform.

College Degree Unnecessary

Fri, 03 Oct 2003 00:00:00 +0100

There are better--although less politically salable--uses for the money that would be spent on the higher salaries college graduates command.

Insider Interview with Douglas J. Besharov

Wed, 25 Jun 2003 00:00:00 +0100

Besharov discusses welfare reform with Josh Kraushaar of National Journal.

The Past and Future of Welfare Reform

Sun, 22 Dec 2002 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare caseloads have fallen sharply, and the percentage of single mothers working has risen dramatically.

We're Feeding the Poor as If They're Starving

Sun, 08 Dec 2002 00:00:00 +0100

The poor in America are far more likely to be at risk of death and disease because of overeating than starvation.

Welfare Rolls

Tue, 16 Jul 2002 00:00:00 +0100

With the landmark 1996 welfare reform law up for reauthorization this year, both Republicans and Democrats are taking credit for the astounding fall in welfare rolls.

Child Care after Welfare Reform

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare Reform--Four Years Later

Thu, 01 Jun 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Besharov and Germanis analyze the results of welfare reform.

The Next Challenge

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0100

Besharov on the measures of success for welfare reform and the upcoming challenges.

Getting Old Ain't What It Used to Be

Sun, 01 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The New Retirement

Sun, 01 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Are older Americans sick and poor and in need of assistance from the government?

A Look at . . . the New Retirement

Sun, 01 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Are older Americans sick and poor and in need of assistance from the government?

Asking More from Matrimony

Wed, 14 Jul 1999 00:00:00 +0100

The Other Wisconsin Miracle

Tue, 01 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Debating WIC

Thu, 01 Apr 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Ku's response to Besharov and Germanis article "Is WIC As Good As They Say?" followed by their reply to Ku.

Hard to Swallow

Sun, 28 Mar 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Many school lunch programs don't deliver a meal that kids will eat.

Is WIC as Good as They Say?

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0100

Benefits apply only to WIC's prenatal program; the evidence suggests much more modest effects than WIC's boosters claim.

Good Parents Not Money

Mon, 01 Sep 1997 00:00:00 +0100

Review of What Money Can't Buy by Susan Mayer.

Why Can't GOP Stand, Deliver Against Clinton?

Mon, 11 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0100

The president and his congressional allies are on the verge of reshaping the welfare law in the image of his original bill.

Beware the Real Agenda

Tue, 05 Aug 1997 00:00:00 +0100

Americans have made it clear that they don't want national health insurance.

The Politics of Child Abuse in America

Sat, 01 Mar 1997 00:00:00 +0100

Review of The Politics of Child Abuse in America by Lela Costin, Howard Karger, and David Stoesz.

Tightening the Welfare Noose

Wed, 15 Jan 1997 00:00:00 +0100

During the debate over welfare reform, both liberals and conservatives made the new law seem tougher than it really is.

When Home Is Hell

Sun, 01 Dec 1996 00:00:00 +0100

The next time you read about a child's death, don't blame just the caseworker who perhaps did not do everything possible to protect the child.

How to Help Welfare Mothers

Wed, 13 Nov 1996 00:00:00 +0100

If advocates want to give these women a real financial boost, they should admit that the current provision is all but meaningless.

Inner City Blues

Sun, 13 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Review of Rosa Lee by Leon Dash.

Child Abuse

Thu, 03 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Is an unheeded child-abuse epidemic raging in America?

Welfare Reform and Marriage

Tue, 01 Oct 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare reform has traditionally focused on helping single mothers get jobs, but such efforts are expensive and have shown only modest results.

Shaping the Debate on Welfare

Sun, 11 Aug 1996 00:00:00 +0100

This is the first of an occasional series of reading lists tied to issues in the news.

The Interracial Generation

Sun, 21 Jul 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare as We Know It

Tue, 16 Jul 1996 00:00:00 +0100

What is welfare as we know it?

One Flesh

Mon, 01 Jul 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Even more than their parents, such young people may be the best hope for the future of American race relations.

Waivers Change the Face of Welfare

Thu, 20 Jun 1996 00:00:00 +0100

As Bill Clinton and Bob Dole jockey for position as the candidate who is tougher on welfare reform, a larger point has been missed.

Child Abuse Reporting

Wed, 01 May 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Nonreporting and inappropriate reporting are linked and must be addressed together before further progress can be made in combating child abuse and neglect.

Ignoring the Danger Signs of Child Abuse

Sun, 21 Apr 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare

Wed, 28 Feb 1996 00:00:00 +0100

How to Save Children

Thu, 01 Feb 1996 00:00:00 +0100

In reaction to the death of 6-year-old Elisa Izquierdo, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is revamping the New York City agency that handles child abuse.

First Lady Knows Best

Sun, 28 Jan 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Review of It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Children of Crack

Mon, 01 Jan 1996 00:00:00 +0100

Paternalism and Welfare Reform

Mon, 01 Jan 1996 00:00:00 +0100

After years of denial, most politicians (and welfare policy makers) have finally acknowledged the link between unwed parenthood and long-term welfare dependency, as well as a host of other social problems.

What about the Poor?

Sun, 03 Dec 1995 00:00:00 +0100

It's all right to aim high, but not when it blinds a young person to the reality of her situation, and her actual opportunities for a better life.

A Monster of His Own Creation

Thu, 02 Nov 1995 00:00:00 +0100

The Republican-controlled Congress is now in the final stages of producing a welfare reform bill that endssxity years of guaranteed federal financial support to poor mothers and their children.

Don't Expect Miracles

Sun, 23 Jul 1995 00:00:00 +0100

The president's rhetoric has moved the welfare debate sharply to the right, undercutting liberal and moderate support for the status quo.

The Welfare Balloon

Sun, 11 Jun 1995 00:00:00 +0100

Using Work to Reform Welfare

Thu, 01 Jun 1995 00:00:00 +0100

The Contraceptive Gap

Sun, 12 Mar 1995 00:00:00 +0100

Broken Family Values

Sun, 15 Jan 1995 00:00:00 +0100

Review of both Growing Up with a Single Parent, by Sara McLanahan and Gary Sandefur, andTies That Stress: The New Family Imbalance, by David Elkind.

On the Reform of Welfare with Continued Dependency

Sun, 01 Jan 1995 00:00:00 +0100

Orphanages Aren't Welfare Reform

Tue, 20 Dec 1994 00:00:00 +0100

Although the proposal to put poor children into institutional care has become a hot-button issue, there has been little discussion of its practicality and of the effect it would have on poor families.

Trapped in the Day-Care Maze

Sun, 11 Dec 1994 00:00:00 +0100

Trapped in the Day Care Maze

Sun, 11 Dec 1994 00:00:00 +0100

There is good reason to hope that the Republicans will free localities from the straightjacket of federal bureaucracy without unreasonably cutting financial support.

Do We Have to Give Up?

Sun, 23 Oct 1994 00:00:00 +0100

On the Dark Side of the Street

Sun, 10 Jul 1994 00:00:00 +0100

Review of The Homeless by Christopher Jencks.

Life Is Not Just a Bowl of Condoms

Sun, 01 May 1994 00:00:00 +0100

To Curb Welfare Use, Make It Uncomfortable

Wed, 27 Apr 1994 00:00:00 +0100

Discouraging unwed parenthood requires increasing both the life prospects of disadvantaged teens and the inconvenience of being on welfare.

Working to Make Welfare a Chore

Wed, 09 Feb 1994 00:00:00 +0100

The nation is in the midst of yet another effort to reform the welfare system.

Welfare Reforms, or Just Renewal?

Mon, 13 Dec 1993 00:00:00 +0100

Escaping the Dole

Sun, 12 Dec 1993 00:00:00 +0100

The Veto Option

Sun, 03 Oct 1993 00:00:00 +0100

The Veto Option

Sun, 03 Oct 1993 00:00:00 +0100

If Clinton is to maintain control over spending, let alone fund his own domestic initiatives, he will have to impose discipline on Congress by being prepared to veto bills.

Biggest Sponger of Health Care? Government Itself

Wed, 22 Sep 1993 00:00:00 +0100

The federal government isthe biggest health-care sponger of all.

A Moral Choice

Mon, 09 Aug 1993 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare as We Don't Know It

Sun, 04 Jul 1993 00:00:00 +0100

Review of Tyranny of Kindness: Dismantling the Welfare System to End Poverty in America, by Theresa Funiciello.

Fresh Start

Mon, 14 Jun 1993 00:00:00 +0100

America's favorite antipoverty program is Head Start, and no one is a bigger fan than Bill Clinton.

It's Time for Common Sense on Using Norplant

Sun, 23 May 1993 00:00:00 +0100

The Moral Voice of Welfare Reform

Thu, 01 Apr 1993 00:00:00 +0100

What can society do to help young mothers?

The Moral Voice of Welfare Reform

Thu, 01 Apr 1993 00:00:00 +0100

The End of Welfare as We Know It?

Thu, 01 Apr 1993 00:00:00 +0100

Clinton taps into a deeply held feeling among the public and politicians that long-term welfare dependency is a serious and growing social problem.

Truth and Consequences

Sun, 21 Feb 1993 00:00:00 +0100

Epidemic of teen pregnancy and infection has set off firestorms of debate in school systems across the country.

The Perverse Federal Incentives for Welfare Cuts

Mon, 01 Feb 1993 00:00:00 +0100

Current rash of state welfare cuts is telling evidence that the current system creates perverse incentives that can actually hurt the poor.

That Other Clinton Promise

Mon, 18 Jan 1993 00:00:00 +0100

The Moral Dimensions of Charity

Fri, 01 May 1992 00:00:00 +0100

Review of Marvin Olasky's The Tragedy of American Compassion.

Why Head Start Needs a Re-Start

Sun, 02 Feb 1992 00:00:00 +0100

Cautions for the New Paternalism

Sun, 05 Jan 1992 00:00:00 +0100

New Directions for Head Start

Wed, 01 Jan 1992 00:00:00 +0100

Unemployment Issues Go beyond Race

Sat, 14 Dec 1991 00:00:00 +0100

Operation Domestic Storm

Sun, 14 Apr 1991 00:00:00 +0100

After years of collective worry about decline, incompetence and ignorance, there is a renewed feeling that Americans can, after all, do things right.

Crack and Kids

Wed, 01 Aug 1990 00:00:00 +0100

Gaining Control over Child Abuse Reports

Mon, 01 Jan 1990 00:00:00 +0100

The Tragedy of Child Abuse

Sun, 03 Sep 1989 00:00:00 +0100

Let's Give Crack Babies a Way Out of Addict Families

Sun, 03 Sep 1989 00:00:00 +0100

Get the Message Out

Sun, 20 Aug 1989 00:00:00 +0100

Legal Services Corp. Is Alive and Ailing

Thu, 22 Jun 1989 00:00:00 +0100

Behind the Tower Debacle Is a Growing Power Struggle between Congress, Presidents

Fri, 10 Mar 1989 00:00:00 +0100

Most fail to recognize the deeper struggle taking place over the balance of power between Congress and the President.

Ending Dependency

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 +0100

This book examines welfare reform and social and individual responsibilty in the United States.

Rethinking WIC

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 +0100

This book analyzes the research on the effectiveness of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

America's Disconnected Youth

Sun, 01 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0100

This book addresses the difficulties that some adolescents have in making the transition from adolescence to productive adulthood.

Understanding Poverty and Dependence

Thu, 01 Sep 1994 00:00:00 +0100

This book examines social and individual responsibility and how it relates to poverty.

When Drug Addicts Have Children

Fri, 04 Mar 1994 00:00:00 +0100

This book examines social and individual responsibility and how it relates to welfare and the children of drug addicts.

Combating Child Abuse

Fri, 01 Jun 1990 00:00:00 +0100

This book discusses signs of and reasons behind child abuse, as well as the welfare system and social and individual responsibility.

Breaking the Welfare Cycle

Tue, 01 May 1990 00:00:00 +0100

This book examines social and individual responsibility and how it relates to welfare.

Recognizing Child Abuse

Fri, 02 Mar 1990 00:00:00 +0100

This concise guide explains both responsibilities and legal liabilities in identifying and reporting possible child abuse.

Legal Services for the Poor

Thu, 01 Mar 1990 00:00:00 +0100

This book documents the program's declining productivity and apparent unresponsiveness to the legal needs of poor people--especially single mothers and their children.

Child Abuse

Thu, 01 Jan 1987 00:00:00 +0100

This book examines policy guidelines for child abuse reporting and investigation.

The Vulnerable Social Worker

Fri, 01 Nov 1985 00:00:00 +0100

Children with learning disabilities often find the passage from youth to adulthood painful and perplexing.

The Maltreated Child

Sun, 01 Jul 1979 00:00:00 +0100

This book analyzes maltreated children and social and individual responsiblity.

Prices, Poverty, and Inequality: Why Americans Are Better Off Than You Think

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:30:00 +0100

The Poverty of "The Poverty Rate": Measure and Mismeasure of Want in Modern America

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Why Did Welfare Caseloads Collapse? The Mystery of Diversion

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:00:00 +0100

Income and Poverty: The Real Story behind the Census Bureau Numbers

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:30:00 +0100

The Myth of the Declining Middle Class

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:30:00 +0100

Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:00:00 +0100

Measuring Poverty after Katrina

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:00:00 +0100

Character and Cops: Ethics in Policing

Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:30:00 +0100

The Health Disparities Myth

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:00:00 +0100

State of the Union

Tue, 20 Jan 2004 10:00:00 +0100

Family and Child Well-Being after Welfare Reform

Mon, 08 Sep 2003 13:30:00 +0100

Post-Welfare-Reform Welfare

Mon, 07 Oct 2002 17:30:00 +0100

Are We All "Compassionate Conservatives" Now?

Thu, 07 Jun 2001 16:00:00 +0100

Toward a Monochrome Society?

Mon, 02 Apr 2001 16:30:00 +0100

Building a Foundation for Families: Fighting Hunger, Investing in Children

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0100

It is important to have a plan that builds a foundation for families by fighting hunger and investing in children.

From the Great Society to Continuous Improvement Government

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Douglas Besharov discusses his hopes for Obama's presidency.

From the Great Society to Continuous Improvement Government

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Douglas Besharov discusses his hopes for Obama's presidency.

Measuring Poverty in America

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0100

How does the government measure poverty in America? What are the pros and cons of its methods?

Investing in Early Childhood Education

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Testimony before the Joint Economic Committee on the benefits of investing in preschool programs.

The Economic Stagnation of the Black Middle Class (Relative to Whites)

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Since the early 1980s, the black middle class has hardly grown. The most achievable remedy is to increase the college graduation rate of African Americans.

Growing Overweight and Obesity in America

Thu, 03 Apr 2003 00:00:00 +0100

Federal feeding programs may be only a small part of the cause of America's growing weight problem, but they urgently need to be part of the cure.

State Implementation of Work Requirements and Time Limits in Welfare Programs

Thu, 07 Mar 2002 00:00:00 +0100

Testimony on state implementation of work requirements and time limitsbefore the House Committee on Ways and Means.

What is a Compassionate Conservative?

Thu, 07 Jun 2001 00:00:00 +0100

Douglas J. Besharov's speech upon being named the first Joseph J. and Violet Jacobs Scholar in Social Welfare Studies at AEI.

Crack Children in Foster Care

Thu, 05 Apr 1990 00:00:00 +0100

The Expansion of WIC Eligibility and Enrollment

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

One would assume that WIC's benefits would be targeted to the most needful Americans, but various formal and informal changes have liberalized eligibility criteria.

Costs Per Child for Early Childhood Education and Care

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0100

How much does early childhood education really cost?

Child Care Data in the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 00:00:00 +0100

What is the future of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation?

Federal and State Child Care Expenditures (1997-2003)

Wed, 24 May 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Why did spending on child care double during 1996-2003?

Full-Engagement Welfare in New York City

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:00:00 +0100

Lessons for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program's participation requirements.

The Role of Career and Technical Education

Sat, 01 May 2004 00:00:00 +0100

The authors stress the importance of career and technical education for students to achieve success after high school graduation.

Toughening TANF

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 00:00:00 +0100

The authors analyzes the participation requirements in the House and Senate bills to reauthorizethe Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programand state responses.

Creating a Marketplace for Social Welfare Services

Fri, 12 Dec 2003 00:00:00 +0100

Using vouchers and other forms of bottom-up decision making can help give clients choice and improve services.

Social Welfare's Twin Dilemmas

Sun, 25 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0100

The author examines how countries reassess their social welfare programs.

Trends in Teen Sexual Behavior

Wed, 01 Jan 1997 00:00:00 +0100

At least until the last few years, the proportion of teenagers who have had sex rose steadily, and they are more likely to use contraceptives than their earlier counterparts.

Sex Education and Abstinence

Wed, 01 Jan 1997 00:00:00 +0100

New data may signal the start of a trend towards less sex and more contraceptive use among teenagers.

Social Welfare Conservatism

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Six principles should be considered for a sensitive and conservative approach to social policy.

Poverty Update

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Today's official poverty rate is hardly lower than the 1968 rate, but a closer look at forty years of poverty data tells a more mixed story.

Beyond the Safety Net

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 +0100

We have made progress in the forty years since the War on Poverty, but we must address more issues to help theAfrican-Americancommunity.

Two Cheers for Welfare Reform

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Welfare reform has achieved progress, but much remains to be done.

Head Start's Broken Promise

Tue, 25 Oct 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Each year almost a million children pass through the Head Start program without getting the head start on learning they were promised.

We're Feeding the Poor as if They're Starving

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 +0100

The poor in America are far more likely to be at risk of death and disease because of overeating than starvation.

Asking More from Matrimony

Wed, 14 Jul 1999 00:00:00 +0100

A lower marriage rate does not necessarily mean that young people are forsaking the institution of marriage altogether.

Clinton Undermines Welfare Reform--With GOP Help

Thu, 10 Jul 1997 00:00:00 +0100

The Clinton administration has begun to weaken the welfare reform law that alienated many of its supporters.

Work, Not Job Training

Wed, 28 Feb 1996 00:00:00 +0100

The disappointing results of three demonstration projects designed to help unwed teenage mothers live self-sufficient lives show the limits of voluntary educational and job training programs.

How to Save Children

Sat, 13 Jan 1996 00:00:00 +0100

If addicts' children are to have a fair chance in life, the child-welfare system needs to be governed by tougher laws and an entirely different set of assumptions.