This book examines the condition of America's poor and the policies used to help them, demonstrating that government aid has been far more effective in reducing poverty than most people think. One of the primary points of the book is that poverty is not synonymous with single mothers and their children on welfare; in fact, the majority of the poor are in other types of households and traditionally have had little access to direct case assistance. The book argues that federal, state, and local assistance should go hand in hand with private efforts at community development and personal empowerment and change. It discusses many of the provisions of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant. After an introduction that examines the facts about poverty and welfare reform and presents a note about the definition of poverty, there are eight chapters: (1) "The Changing Face of Poverty"; (2) "A Changing Economy"; (3) "Changing Policy: America's Efforts To Provide a Social Safety Net"; (4) "What Do Antipoverty Programs Do?"; (5) "Who Should Help the Poor?"; (6) "The Movement toward Targeted Programs"; (7) "Where Should We Go from Here?"; and (8) "Conclusions." (Contains approximately 350 references.) (SM)