50 Years After the War on Poverty: Looking Beyond Success or Failure

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50 Years After the War on Poverty: Looking Beyond Success or Failure

By Roberta Downing, PhD 

(Senior Legislative and Federal Affairs Officer, APA Public Interest Directorate – Government Relations Office)

January 8th marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s declaration of a “War on Poverty.” Dr. Downing begins her article titled “50 Years After the War on Poverty: Looking Beyond Success or Failure” by giving a brief description of the concept of the “War on Poverty.” The author continues with a discussion of the relevance of the War on Poverty today including the high rates of poverty in the U.S. and the attacks on safety net programs. She also highlights other variables (i.e., race, ethnicity, and gender) which she believes cannot be ignored when talking about poverty. The author concludes with the call to continue the dialogue on this matter and the need to continue searching for solutions to this problem that affects so many. At the end of the article, one can find a short video describing the history of the food stamp program.

You can read this article on the Psychology Benefits Society Blog