USNews: The War on Poverty Has Never Been Fully Funded

Carrie Wofford brings up an excellent point that many lawmakers, political strategists and researchers fail to mention about the War on Poverty: these antipoverty programs can work if they are adequately funded properly. Unfortunately, history reveals that poverty reduction (where income inequality has grown to levels not seen since 1964) is not a priority.

If all of the War on Poverty's programs had been fully funded in 1964, or were fully funded today, America could wipe out poverty. But, as it is, we face sharp cuts in food stamps and unemployment benefits at precisely the wrong time, when many American families are still attempting to pull out of the Great Recession. Nevertheless, the legacy of the War on Poverty – a more complex understanding of poverty and a framework for addressing it – remains strong, across party lines, today.