How did welfare originate? Has it provided ample assistance to poverty-stricken individuals?
There are many books written on the subject, but a typical response follows: local communities provided welfare at the turn of the century to prevent widows and their children from severe material deprivation. Mothers were not supposed to work so when the father died, the community assisted the family. Later, during the Depression, welfare programs were designed to prevent extreme poverty and to get men back to work. Welfare has also been used to force a certain lifestyle on individuals. At one time, mothers could only qualify for assistance if they presented a suitable home — free of smoking, drinking, and other inappropriate behavior. We are now learning quite a bit about the living standards of families who leave welfare. Many are better off than they would have been had they stayed on welfare. However, many are not. Some mothers earn as much on welfare as at work, so there is no incentive to leave welfare. Lack of child care and transportation are just a two examples of reasons ma
