Welfare Reform Act 1996

1996 Welfare Reform Act

The Welfare Reform Act switched power from the federal government to the states with regard to welfare programs through block grants. It also focused on encouraging welfare recipients to join the work force and pull themselves out of poverty. Its focus was eventually slowing and decreasing the growth of the welfare state in the U.S.

Family Cash Aid: This stopped the blatant hand out of federal funds to in-need families and utilized block grants to spur the states to create programs to help economically disadvantaged families with children.

Food Stamps: States had greater authority in organizing the food stamp program. Also, this Act made it harder to be eligible for food stamps and increased punishment for violating the rules.

Child Care: Gave states more leeway in creating child care policies with federal funds.

Alien Eligibility for Welfare: States were not allowed to apply this legislation to immigrants other than refugees and associated military/veterans for the first five years they are in the country.

• Wanted to reduce the amount of people receiving welfare and help them get jobs instead.
• The Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Program had grown overtime, so this act was meant to reduce its role in America.
• In the 90's a more laissez-faire culture in America prompted more people away from the dependent welfare system.
• In 1994, Congress had a Republican majority, so this pressured President Clinton to pass the law in order to get reelected.

• An outcome of the WRA was that the states had more control over welfare programs.
• Block grants, etc. from the Federal Government gave states the funds to create these programs with their own requirements.
• Was part of a movement during the 90's that decentralized governmental power in the U.S.

• 1996-2006: number of Americans receiving welfare dropped from 12 million to 4 million
• Since 2006, the decrease has slowed
• Maine gives added benefits to welfare recipients that are parents seeking a college degree
• Percentage of U.S. children on welfare is the lowest since 1970 (as of 2006)
• 80% of adults receiving welfare have a job
• Since the WRA, income from welfare has decreased by almost half to 23%

• Proponents: Republicans and Conservatives
• Temporary assistance allowed the impoverished to grow in independence from the government
• Success--lasting effects were the expected results
• Opponents: Democrats and Liberals
• Social disaster: predicted decreased incomes, increased hunger, and more children in poverty
• "Those involved will take this disgrace to their graves.”-Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• Believed temporary assistance was not the answer
• After the act had been passed for a few years, the opponents acknowledged the benefits

• Still debated 10 + years after its passing
• Block grants: will the states have enough funding?
• States needed flexibility and creativity to effectively use their funds for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Would welfare recipients be able to hold a job? If not, what would happen?
• Concern over the amount of children being raised by single mothers
• Clinton took his time deciding whether or not to pass the act
• Easily and quickly passed through the legislative process and was approved by Senate

• The 1996 act was supposed to make it more difficult for legal immigrants and able-bodied adults to access food stamps, but several states are expanding the food stamp programs, making them easier to access
• Since welfare reform, more welfare recipients have joined the workforce, but many families have fallen through the cracks in society. The number of welfare recipients with jobs rose dramatically while many former recipients lack cash, jobs, disability benefits or working spouses.
• Child poverty has fallen- 1.6 million fewer children were impoverished in 2006 than in 1995 before the law was passed
• Poverty amongst African American children has fallen 41.5 percent to an unprecedented 32.9 percent in 2004.
• Employment of single mothers has greatly increased- from 50 to 100%
• Welfare caseloads were decreased by half

What the Think Tanks Are Saying:

Devolution

Brookings Institute (liberal): devolution causing people to be neglected in the welfare system-people on welfare are not benefiting, especially because of a lack of connection to social services

CATO Institute (libertarian-conservative): leveled the playing field for welfare recipients by giving states the power to determine who receives this aid

Works Cited

Controversy

Proponents vs. Opponents

Lasting Effects

Why Was the WRA passed?

"A Brief History of Welfare Reform." The Free Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 04

Feb. 2015. <http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/a+Brief+History+of+Welfare+Reform>.

Blank, Rebecca M. “Was Welfare Reform Successful?.” Berkeley Electronic Press March 2006: 1-5.

PDF file.

Burke, Vee. Welfare Reform. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research

Service, 1996. Http://royce.house.gov/. 1 July 2003. Web. 29 Jan. 2015.

"Debate over Welfare Reform Lingers 10 Years Later." PBS. PBS, 22 Aug. 2006.

Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

Harris, Blake. "The New Federalism -- More Sticks and Carrots for Welfare Reform." Government

Technology. N.p., 31 Dec. 1997. Web. 02 Feb. 2015. <http://www.govtech.com/featured/The-New-Federalism----More-Sticks.html>.

Harris, John F., and John E. Yang. "Clinton to Sign Bill Overhauling Welfare."

Washington Post. The Washington Post, 1 Aug. 1996. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

Haskins, Ron. "Welfare Reform, Success or Failure? It Worked." Brookings.

The Brookings Institution, 15 Mar. 2006. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.

Longley, Robert. "Welfare Reform in the United States." About News.

About.com, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2015. <http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/federalbenefitprograms/a/welfarereform.htm>

Nathan, Richard P., and Thomas L. Gais. "Is Devolution Working? Federal and

State Roles in Welfare." Brookings. The Brookings Institution, 01 June 2001. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.

Rector, Robert, and Patrick F. Fagan, PhD. "The Continuing Good News About

Welfare Reform." The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation, 6 Feb. 2003. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

Rector, Robert. "The Impact of Welfare Reform." The Heritage Foundation.

N.p., 19 July 2006. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

Tanner, Michael, and Tad DeHaven. "TANF and Federal Welfare." Cato Institute. Cato Institute, Sept. 2010. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.

"Welfare Reform Act (1996)." Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in

History and Society. The Gale Group, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2015. <http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Th-W/Welfare-Reform-Act-1996.html>.

"Welfare Reform: Ten Years Later." The Urban Institute. The Urban Institute, n.d. Web. 02 Feb.

2015. <http://www.urban.org/toolkit/issues/welfarereform.cfm>.

What is the WRA?

The Major Provisions

Statistics

Abby Karol, Betsy Smith, Ceci Weigman