The Human Cost of Welfare: How the System Hurts the People It's Supposed to Help

(Hardback)

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Description

Why is the welfare system failing to work for so many people This book examines the problems with the current welfare system and proposes reforms to create a smarter, smaller system that helps people improve their lives through rewarding work. Unlike other books on welfare, this one draws on the stories of more than 100 welfare recipients who are trapped in a system that keeps them underemployed and unemployed. The authors present case studies that show that being a part of a welfare program can actively result in the recipient having to limit their job efforts for fear of losing government assistance. The book examines all major U.S. welfare systems, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, SNAP, Medicaid, and others. The authors begin by exploring the nation's basic poverty issues and examining the relationship between work and happiness. Next, they zero in on specific welfare programs, reporting both on their dollar costs and on the ways that they fail enrollees. The book then concludes with strategies for addressing the shortcomings of the current U.S. welfare system. This book is appropriate for readers interested in public policy, government programs, welfare, and cultural shifts in America. It adds a new perspective to the existing body of welfare scholarship by systematically assessing the impact of welfare on the receivers themselves.

Reviews

With its scores of original interviews and empathy for people who want to be in greater control of their lives and its sensible, workable reform agenda, The Human Cost of Welfare is a must-read for anyone interested in making government more accountable and improving the lives of the poorest Americans. * Reason TV *
A refreshingly non-partisan dissection of the social safety net's unintended consequences. It may be hard to believe that a book discussing welfare policy can be described as a page-turner, but here it is. * Washington Independent Review of Books *
This very readable book may stimulate some alternative approaches to making lives better. * Choice *

Author Bio

Phil Harvey is the chief sponsor of the DKT Liberty Project, an advocacy group that raises awareness about liberty and freedom in the United States. Lisa Conyers is director of policy studies for the DKT Liberty Project, where she works on topics including welfare, inequality, and civil liberties.