The Consequences And Public Policy Implications Of Welfare Reform: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The Welfare Reform Policy

Abstract

Welfare reform has been the recurrent subject of heated debate in the United States, culminating in far-reaching legislation in 1996.  Taking the measure of that legislation requires attention both to the broader context of which welfare policy is a part and to the merits of the 1996 law itself.  Ultimately, the success or failure of welfare reform, which evoked a great deal of partisan rhetoric, will be assessed on empirical rather than partisan grounds.  It cannot be determined merely by changes in the size of welfare caseloads.  It is crucial to any piece of legislation to analyze the cost in relations to its benefits.  Most importantly, we must ask: What has happened to the families and children who have left the welfare system?  Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 is a successful legislation that needs a little troubleshooting, so it will not be the failed anti-poverty prescription