Legacies of the War on Poverty

Chapter 1. Legacies of the War on Poverty

/ 1 Chapter 1 Legacies of the War on Poverty Martha J. Bailey and Sheldon Danziger Many Americans live on the outskirts of hope—some because of their poverty, and some because of their color, and all too many because of both. Our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity. This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America . I urge this Congress and all Americans to join with me in that effort. It will not be a short or easy struggle, no single weapon or strategy will suffice, but we shall not rest until that war is won. The richest Nation on earth can afford to win it. We cannot afford to lose it. President Lyndon B. Johnson, State of the Union Address, January 8, 1964 I n his first State of the Union Address, Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty” that aimed “not only to relieve the symptom of poverty , but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it” (Johnson 1964a). Within several years, Johnson’s sweeping legislative achievements transformed American schools and universities, employment and training programs, health insurance for the elderly (Medicare) and poor (Medicaid), and the nature and scope of the social safety net (for example, Food Stamps, now the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP]; changes in Aid to Families with Dependent Children, now Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF]; expansions of subsidized housing, and increased Social Security benefits [see table 1.1]). The 1964 Economic Opportunity Act created the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) to coordinate federal antipoverty initiatives and launched enduring programs such as Head Start, Job Corps, and Community Health Centers. All of these changes contributed to a more than tripling of real federal expenditures on health, education, employment and training, housing, and income transfers, as spending on these programs reached 15.1 percent of the federal budget by 1970 (Ginzberg and Solow 1974). Less well known is that the War on Poverty is intertwined with the 1964 Civil Rights Act (CRA). The War on Poverty’s “assault on discrimination” (Council of Legacies of the War on Poverty 2 / Table 1.1 / War on Poverty’s Major Legislation and Events November 22, 1963 President Kennedy assassinated; Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson assumes the U.S. Presidency January 8, 1964 President Johnson’s State of the Union Address declares War on Poverty February 26, 1964 The Revenue Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-272) dramatically lowers individual income tax rates and slightly lowers corporate tax rates July 2, 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) signed into law by President Johnson August 20, 1964 The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-452) created Community Action Agencies to coordinate local antipoverty efforts and funds programs such as Head Start, Job Corps, Community Health Centers, Upward Bound, the Work Experience Program, Neighborhood Youth Corps, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Legal Services, and federal work study programs. August 31, 1964 The Food Stamp Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-525) creates a permanent, national program out of the food stamps pilot program begun in 1961 November 3, 1964 Lyndon Johnson wins landslide victory in Presidential Election; Democrats win two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House— the most Democratic Congress since the New Deal April 11, 1965 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-10) signed into law. Title I distributes funding to schools and districts with high percentages of students from low-income families April 26, 1965 The Manpower Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-15) expanded funding under the 1962 Manpower Development and Training Act to retrain displaced workers July 14, 1965 The Older Americans Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-73) provides for grants to help fund various support services such as caregiver support, nutritional services, and social services July 30, 1965 Medicare and Medicaid are signed into law as part of the 1965 Amendments to the Social Security Act (P.L. 89-97) August 6, 1965 The Voting Rights Act (P.L. 89-110) abolished literacy tests and other barriers used by state and local governments to disenfranchise voters (especially African Americans) August 10, 1965 The Housing and Urban Development Act (P.L. 89-117) created the Department of Housing and Urban Development November 8, 1965 The Higher Education Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-329) created federal loan programs including the Educational Opportunity Grant and Guaranteed Student Loan. It also created...