I’ve written over and over again that the federal government’s so-called War on Poverty has been a disaster.
It’s been bad news for taxpayers, of course, but it’s also been bad news for poor people since they get trapped in dependency.
So what’s the alternative? Well, we actually can learn a lot from history.
Let’s start on the other side of the Atlantic. Professor Tyler Cowen of George Mason University has a fascinating video (which is part of a must-watch series) looking at the English debate in the 1830s on how best to deal with poverty.
Now let’s cross the ocean and look at the American experience.
Professor Thomas West of Hillsdale College has researched welfare policies in the early days of the United States.
Here are some of his key findings.
…government-funded welfare, not to mention generous private charity, has existed throughout American history…
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