THE GREAT SOCIETY
The Illusion of Welfare
CONTEMPORARY ECONOMISTS
THE MOYNIHAN REPORT
An influential report published in 1965, the Moynihan Report reflected on the wide disparities between races and the disintegration of the traditional black family.
While the report itself advocated for governmental intervention, it focused more on addressing the "pathology" of the poor and argued against providing welfare programs.
"
The steady expansion of this welfare program [Aid to Families with Dependent Children
], as of public assistance programs in general, can be taken as a measure of the steady disintegration of the Negro family structure over the past generation in the United States."
~ The Moynihan Report, 1965.
From the Moynihan Report, 1965,
THE COLEMAN REPORT
"
The first finding is that the schools are remarkably similar in the way they relate to the achievement of their pupils when the socioeconomic background of the students is taken into account… It appears that variations in the facilities and curriculums of the sciools account for relatively little variation in pupil achievement insofar as this is measured by standard tests."
~ The Coleman Report, 1966, page 20-21.
A similar standpoint was seen in a report that studied the causes for inequality in education (called"achievement gap"). While the report supported increased integration of racial minorities into the majority schools, it also disproved the myth that education could act as a way out of poverty.
The lack of scientific support on the effects of welfare programs in providing convincing help to the poor undermine the purpose of the Great Society programs and the beliefs of liberalism.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMS
"Gee, Sam. Couldn't we cut ot the Muddle Man?" From Digital Public Library of America.
"...People have observed that government policies don't work. The government sets out to eliminate poverty, it has a war on poverty, so-called "poverty" increases. It has a welfare program, and the welfare program leads to an expansion of problems. A general attitude develops that government isn't a very efficient way of doing things."
~ Milton Friedman, 1972.
Simultaneously with doubts on effectiveness of welfare programs, the States had seen the largest expansion yet.
This cartoon addressed the doubts about the corruption of antipoverty bureaucracies.
Data from whitehouse.gov. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/hist12z1_fy2023.xlsx.