More than 46 million Americans continue to live in poverty despite unprecedented federal welfare spending, the study finds.
Study: More Than Half a Trillion Dollars Spent on Welfare – But Poverty Levels Unaffected
“The vast majority of current programs are focused on making poverty more comfortable … rather than giving people the tools that will help them
escape poverty.”
By Matt Cover
June 25, 2012
(CNSNews.com) – The government is not making much headway reducing poverty despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars, according to a study by the libertarian Cato Institute.
Despite an unprecedented increase in federal anti-poverty spending the national poverty rate has not declined, it finds.
“[S]ince President Obama took office, federal welfare spending has increased by 41 percent, more than $193 billion per year.” the study says.
Federal welfare spending this year now totals $668 billion, spread out over 126 programs, while the poverty rate that remains stubbornly high at nearly 15 percent – roughly where it was in 1965, when President Johnson declared a federal War on Poverty.
