In the nation today, 4.6 million young adults ages 16 to 24 are out of school and unemployed. More than one-third live in poverty. For these young people, commonly referred to as opportunity youth, building skills and gaining work experience are key to upward mobility. However, they face significant barriers to entering the labor market.…

American Indian organizations in Chicago grew both in size and number during the 1970s. The lasting impact of War on Poverty programs and the passing of the Indian Education Act of 1972 and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 served as significant factors for the development of these organizations. Alternative American Indian…

The working poor are employable people who have found low-paying jobs and barely scrape out a living. By removing many forms of federal aid, the Reagan administration has locked the working poor into poverty. In saving a few dollars today, we are penalizing the next generation. (CS)

The 15 essays in this book discuss the success and failure of federal anti-poverty programs since the 1960s. Titles (and authors) are: (1) "Introduction" (Sheldon H. Danziger and Daniel H. Weinberg); (2) "Public Spending for the Poor: Trends, Prospects, and Economic Limits" (Gary Burtless); (3) "Antipoverty Policy: Effects on the Poor and the…

This document contains oral testimony by state and government officials, prepared statements, and supporting materials concerning food assistance for the homeless. The bills before the Senate would increase Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funding by $10 million in fiscal year 1987, and $20 million in 1988. According to John W.…

This booklet contains the proceedings of a Congressional hearing held to review the broad policy implications involved in defining poverty and income, and to gather information on the relationship of the poverty definition and eligibility for public assistance, revenue sharing, block grants, and other programs. Addressing the general question of…

Reviews "Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950-1980" by Charles Murray. Murray believes federal social welfare programs sap the moral fiber of poor Americans by eliminating a negative incentive for them to work at low paying jobs. Criticizes Murray's position, citing the importance of positive as well as negative incentives for…

At this hearing questions of unemployment compensation, job training, minimum wage, and statistics gathering of the Bureau of Labor Statistics were considered. Points made included the following: while minorities are overrepresented among the poor, most poor people are white; most poor people are also women, possibly because they have less access…

The "Hunger-1973" committee report, details the continuing hunger problem in the country. The report shows that the administration and participation of the Food Stamp and Surplus Food Program vary widely across the country. It shows that the benefits available under both programs are being severely restricted by the current food cost…

The purpose of this report is to review the history of the commitment to ensure nutritional adequacy for all American families during the last several years, and to study the relationship between proposed welfare reform measures and that commitment to nutritional adequacy. A specific proposal, H.R.1, eliminates food stamps, the Nation's primary…

This report reviews the status of poverty and makes the following recommendations for program aims and structure, and for organizational changes at the Federal level. Antipoverty programs should attack the total environment of the poor: housing, education, family stability, employment, and neighborhoods. Increased efforts must be made to reach the…

Authored by a political scientist, the study focuses on the impact of two alternative policies, "political strategy" and "service strategy," designed to deal with the problem of poverty in American society. The central concern is the effect of the policies on the poor. The service strategy assumes that the poor differ from the…

In the wake of welfare reform efforts, the government is willing to provide or finance a wide range of services for working parents and help them purchase child care and child health insurance. Taken together, these services represent a significant attack on child poverty. Based on a basic needs' budget for families and the high proportion of a…

Between 1979 and 1983 the noninstitutionalized Medicaid population grew by 210,000 people, or one percent. In comparison, because of a severe economic recession, there was a 37 percent increase in the number of people in poverty during the same period. The Medicaid population growth rate is relatively small for the following reasons: (1) Congress…