Because the state does not track those who leave welfare, it is difficult to know if they have moved on to other taxpayer-funded programs. But social service advocates say the other programs' growth ...

Many welfare programs give greater benefits to unmarried individuals than to a married couple of otherwise identical income. The resulting marriage penalty discourages marriage and rewards single ...

When conservatives lament the many ways in which the U.S. welfare system discourages marriage and family formation, it’s usually large-scale federal welfare programs such as public housing or the ...

Two of the weightiest questions in contemporary social ethics are: What is government’s legitimate role in welfare work? How ought the Christian Church to relate itself to the welfare role of ...

Editor's Note: This article appears in Governing's Fall 2025 Magazine. You can subscribe here. When he ran for president, Bill Clinton promised to “end welfare as we know it.” In 1996, Clinton signed ...