The Federal Government - the Indispensable Player in Redressing Poverty
Food Research and Action Center:
This article was written by FRAC's President Jim Weill for the May-June issue of the Clearinghouse Review -- the publication of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
That issue was a special one devoted to articles on "What the Federal Government Must Do to End Poverty."
Weill's framework article -- "The Federal Government -- the Indispensable Player in Redressing Poverty" -- describes why, despite past shortcomings of federal efforts to build economic security for all Americans and recent setbacks in improving those efforts, a robust federal role in fighting poverty and building economic security is absolutely essential.
The article briefly reviews the extent of poverty and economic insecurity, and the political context set by the Depression, the New Deal, the War on Poverty, and subsequent attacks on federal programs.
