POVERTY IN THE U.S. A NEED FOR SYSTEMATIC CHANGE
On August 22, 1996, welfare reform history was made in the Unites States. President Bill Clinton signed a federal bill, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). Under this federal law, the government gave states pots of money yearly to assist the needy. The basis for the bill being introduced by Re. E Clay Shaw, Jr. was to help President Clinton make good on his promise to “end welfare as we have come to know it”. This act gave states more discretion over the delivery of welfare and at the same time, lessened the federal government’s responsibilities. Most striking were the elimination of Aid to Dependent Children (ADFC) and the addition of Temporary Assistance to Needy families (TANF), effective July 1997. At the very heart of this act was the notion that dates back to the Poor Laws of 1601 “the poor should be set to work”. The notion that everyone needs to work is a historical theme. In 1601, when England was undergoing a dramatic shift from agrarian society and the disintegration of the feudal system to one of industrialization, the government reacted and responded to social welfare. Due to a reduced labor force, the government passed the “Poor Laws” and no man was to be idle, as it was believed he could cause disruption (Dinitto, page 49). The wealthy did not want to be responsible financially and only wanted to assist only the neediest. The government classified the “deserving poor” and “the undeserving poor”. The deserving poor were orphaned children, adults who were injured, blind, widowed, or unemployed through no fault of their own. The undeserving poor were those who were “drunkards” or just lazy. There were 4 forms of assistance available: families took the poor into their own homes and this was outdoor relief and indoor relief was for those who were unable to care for themselves and were placed in almshouses that...