Welfare Reform: A New Immigrant Policy for the United States

Michael E. Fix, Wendy Zimmermann

This report reviews the history of the public welfare system, specifically the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program. This report compares the major themes, issues, and compromises found in the Family Support Act (FSA) of 1988 to AFDC's original policy goals and program structure. Other legislative efforts to rectify perceived shortcomings in the welfare system are also examined. Special attention is given to important developments, unifying themes, and divisive issues that shaped the debate about welfare and culminated in the passage of FSA.

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