DOCSLIB.ORG

Demographic Diversity and Economic Change in Appalachia – Pdf 1.66 MB

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Demographic Diversity and Economic Change in Appalachia – Pdf 1.66 MB DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY AND ECONOMIC CHANGE IN APPALACHIA by Diane K. McLaughlin Daniel T. Lichter Stephen A. Matthews with the assistance of Glynis Daniels and James Cameron Population Research Institute 601 Oswald Tower Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802 814-865-0486 Final Draft July 31, 1999 Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ ii List of Maps ............................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures......................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. Appalachia: Past Is Prologue?.................................................................................1 Chapter 2. Population Distribution and Composition.............................................................31 Chapter 3. Population Change and Net Migration in Appalachia ..........................................83 Chapter 4. Social and Economic Well-Being in Appalachia................................................133 Chapter 5. Jobs and Workers in Appalachia.........................................................................187 Chapter 6. Appalachia: Challenges for the Future................................................................252 List of Tables Table 1.1 Beale Code Definitions and Number of Appalachian Counties, 1993 ....................17 Table 1.2 Criteria for Classification of Counties by Economic Level (Distressed County Codes) for FY 1998 .................................................................................................22 Table 1.3 Cross classification of Appalachian Counties by 1993 Beale Codes and 1998 Distressed County Codes .................................................................................23 Table 1.4 Cross-classification of Appalachian Region Counties by Sub-region and 1998 Distressed County Codes ..........................................................................24 Table 2.1 Percentage of U.S. Population in Appalachia Region, 1980, 1990, 1996 ...............34 Table 2.2 Population Density in Appalachia and the United States ........................................35 Table 2.3 Percentage of Appalachia Population Across Beale Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996.......37 Table 2.4 Percentage of Appalachia Population Across 1998 Distress Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996.................................................................................................................39 Table 2.5 Population Density in Appalachia by Beale Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996 ...................40 Table 2.6 Population Density in Appalachia by 1998 Distress Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996 ......41 Table 2.7 Ten Most and Least Populous Counties in Appalachia, 1996 .................................43 Table 2.8 Age Distribution (%) in Appalachia, 1980, 1990, 1996 ..........................................47 Table 2.9 Age Distribution in Appalachia and the United States, 1996..................................51 Table 2.10 Age Distribution Across Distress Codes, 1996 .....................................................54 Table 2.11 Dependency Ratios in Appalachia, 1980, 1990, 1996...........................................58 Table 2.12 Dependency Ratios in Appalachia by 1998 Distress Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996....59 Table 2.13 Ten Oldest and Least Old Counties in Appalachia, 1996......................................60 Table 2.14 Ten Youngest and Least Young Counties in Appalachia, 1996............................61 Table 2.15 White, Black and Hispanic Populations in Appalachia and the United States, 1980, 1990, 1996...........................................................................................64 Table 2.16 Distribution of Black Population Across Appalachian Sub-regions, 1980, 1990, 1996.......................................................................................................65 Table 2.17 Distribution of Black Population Across Distress Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996 ........66 Table 2.18 Ten Counties in Appalachia with Highest Percentage and Highest Number of Black Persons (non-Hispanic), 1996 ....................................................................69 Table 2.19 Distribution of Hispanic Population Across 1998 Distress Codes, 1980, 1990, 1996.......................................................................................................71 Table 2.20 Ten Counties in Appalachia with Highest Percent and Number of Hispanic Persons (Any Race), 1996 .........................................................................74 Table 2.21 Foreign Born Population in Appalachia and the United States, 1980 and 1990 ...75 Table 2.22 Percentage of Foreign Born Across 1998 Distress Codes, 1990 ...........................76 Table 2.23 Ten Counties in Appalachia with Highest Percentage and Number of Foreign Born, 1990 ...................................................................................................77 Table 3.1 Components of Population Change in Appalachia, 1981-1996 (grouped)..............85 Table 3.2 Components of Population Change in Appalachia, 1981-1996...............................87 Table 3.3 Annual Population Growth Rate (%) and Net County Migration Rate (%) in Appalachia and the United States, 1981-1996......................................................89 ii Table 3.4 Annual Population Growth Rate (%) and Net County Migration Rate (%) in Appalachia Sub-regions, 1981-1996.....................................................................91 Table 3.5 Annual Population Growth Rate (%) and Net County Migration Rate (%) in Appalachia by State, 1980-1989 and 1990-1996..................................................95 Table 3.6 Ten Counties with Most and Least Population Growth in Appalachia, 1990-1996........................................................................................................97 Table 3.7 Ten Counties with Highest and Lowest Population Growth Rate in Appalachia, 1990-1996.............................................................................................98 Table 3.8 Annual Population Growth Rate (%) across Distress Codes in Appalachia, 1981-1996 ...............................................................................................................103 Table 3.9 Annual Net Migration Rate (%) across Distress Codes in Appalachia, 1981-1996......................................................................................................104 Table 3.10 Proportion of Counties Growing and Experiencing Net In-Migration, 1980-1989 and 1990-1996 ......................................................................................106 Table 3.11 Proportion of Counties Growing and Experiencing Net In-Migration by Distress Codes, 1980-1989 and 1990-1996 ............................................................107 Table 3.12 Annual Population Growth Rate (%) across Beale Codes in Appalachia, 1981-1996 ...............................................................................................................111 Table 3.13 Annual Migration Rate (%) across Beale Codes in Appalachia, 1981-1996.......113 Table 3.14 Proportion of Counties Growing and Experiencing Net In-Migration by Beale Codes, 1980-89 and 1990-96................................................................ 116-117 Table 3.15 Five-year Age-Specific Net Migration Rates, 1985-1990...................................119 Table 3.16 Five-year Education-Specific Net Migration Rates, 1985-1990 .........................120 Table 3.17 Ten Counties with the Highest and Lowest Net Migration Rates for Young Adults Ages 25 to 39, 1985-1990 ...........................................................................123 Table 3.18 Ten Counties with the Highest and Lowest Net Migration Rates for Persons Ages 65 and over, 1985-1990 .................................................................................126 Table 3.19 Ten Counties with the Highest and Lowest Net Migration Rates for College- educated Persons, 1985-1990..................................................................................127 Table 3A.1 Fertility and Mortality Rates in Appalachia and the United States, 1996 ..........130 Table 3A.2 Fertility and Mortality Rates by Distress Codes, 1996.......................................130 Table 4.1 Educational Attainment in Appalachia and the United States, 1980 and 1990 .....136 Table 4.2 Educational Attainment by Gender, Race, and Age, 1990 ............................138, 139 Table 4.3 High School Drop-Out Rates by Race in Appalachian Sub-regions, 1990 ...........140 Table 4.4 Educational Attainment in Appalachian Sub-regions, 1980 and 1990..................141 Table 4.5 Ten Counties with Highest and Lowest Percent of Persons with Less Than a High School Education in Appalachia, 1990 .......................................................143 Table 4.6 Ten Counties with Highest and Lowest Percent of Persons with a College Education in Appalachia, 1990...............................................................................145 Table 4.7 Educational Attainment by Beale Codes, 1990 .....................................................146 Table 4.8 Educational Attainment by Distress Codes, 1990 .................................................147 Table 4.9 All Races - Household and Family Type by Presence of Children (%) for the Appalachian Region, 1980 and 1990 ................................................................149
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Front Door Brochure
    012_342020 A 4 4 l b H a n o y l l , a N n Y d A 1 2 v 2 e 2 n 9 u - e 0 0 0 1 For more information about the FRONT DOOR, call your local Front Door contact: Finger Lakes ..............................................855-679-3335 How Can I Western New York ....................................800-487-6310 Southern Tier ..................................607-771-7784, Ext. 0 Get Services? Central New York .....................315-793-9600, Ext. 603 The Front Door North Country .............................................518-536-3480 Capital District ............................................518-388-0398 Rockland County ......................................845-947-6390 Orange County .........................................845-695-7330 Taconic ..........................................................844-880-2151 Westchester County .................................914-332-8960 Brooklyn .......................................................718-642-8576 Bronx .............................................................718-430-0757 Manhattan ..................................................646-766-3220 Queens ..........................................................718-217-6485 Staten Island .................................................718-982-1913 Long Island .................................................631-434-6000 Individuals with hearing impairment: use NY Relay System 711 (866) 946-9733 | NY Relay System 711 www.opwdd.ny.gov Identify s s s s s Contact Information Determine s Assessment Develop Services Support The Front
    [Show full text]
  • Lewistown Borough 3
    GRANVILLE TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS 100 HELEN STREET LEWISTOWN, PA 17044 717-242-2334 Mark M. Ellinger, Chairman William W. Page, Vice-Chairman James A. Smith, Supervisor □ Township Office □ Road Department □ Police Department □ Code Department □ Sewer & Water Department March 23, 2021 Lewistown Sentinel Lewistown, PA 17044 In response to Council President Shade’s recent article in The Sentinel, the Township would like to bring light to the untrue statements made by President Shade. Granville Township did abolish our Sewer Authority and in turn made it a Department within the Township. Her only factual statement. The rest of her comments in reference to Granville Township are all false. In our situation our Authority never functioned 100% independently like the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Lewistown (MABL). The Township since installing our first sewer line has always maintained the payroll, pension, insurances, etc. for our Sewer Department. We invoice the Sewer Dept. monthly for the costs. We have never raped, pillaged or stolen from our Sewer Department for the General Fund as she implies or as the Borough is planning to do with MABL dollars. We didn’t realize that another governmental body or constituents wanting to ask questions or disagreeing with public officials was an attack. It is not the intent of a Countywide Authority to “continue attacks”. We can’t continue something that never occurred. If it was, why would Lewistown Borough have three (3) seats at the table? We as a group of neighboring municipalities have never been “anti-Lewistown”. We have publicly asked for Lewistown Borough to come to the table to find a resolution that suits the entire County and Lewistown Borough has refused.
    [Show full text]
  • Who Freed Athens? J
    Ancient Greek Democracy: Readings and Sources Edited by Eric W. Robinson Copyright © 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd The Beginnings of the Athenian Democracv: Who Freed Athens? J Introduction Though the very earliest democracies lildy took shape elsewhere in Greece, Athens embraced it relatively early and would ultimately become the most famous and powerful democracy the ancient world ever hew. Democracy is usually thought to have taken hold among the Athenians with the constitutional reforms of Cleisthenes, ca. 508/7 BC. The tyrant Peisistratus and later his sons had ruled Athens for decades before they were overthrown; Cleisthenes, rallying the people to his cause, made sweeping changes. These included the creation of a representative council (bode)chosen from among the citizens, new public organizations that more closely tied citizens throughout Attica to the Athenian state, and the populist ostracism law that enabled citizens to exile danger- ous or undesirable politicians by vote. Beginning with these measures, and for the next two centuries or so with only the briefest of interruptions, democracy held sway at Athens. Such is the most common interpretation. But there is, in fact, much room for disagree- ment about when and how democracy came to Athens. Ancient authors sometimes refer to Solon, a lawgiver and mediator of the early sixth century, as the founder of the Athenian constitution. It was also a popular belief among the Athenians that two famous “tyrant-slayers,” Harmodius and Aristogeiton, inaugurated Athenian freedom by assas- sinating one of the sons of Peisistratus a few years before Cleisthenes’ reforms - though ancient writers take pains to point out that only the military intervention of Sparta truly ended the tyranny.
    [Show full text]
  • Shared Place Names Hide Different Meanings
    Shared Place Names Hide Different Meanings There are 170 streams in Montana named Spring Creek, and three of them are in Jefferson County. One contributes to Little Whitetail Creek, just below where the McClusky Fire burned for two months last summer; another is a small tributary to Turnley Creek and its beaver dams just west of the town of Elkhorn; the third is the longest, running from the Montana Tunnels Mine to Jefferson City, where it pours into Prickly Pear Creek. When a space on earth is given a name it becomes more than just the sum of its parts, and it becomes a place. Why a chunk of earth is named what it is can serve different purposes. It can be descriptive, like Rock Creek. Some names are attempts to etch on the map a permanent reminder of the namer or someone who first turned that space into a place, such as Wilson Creek. Others, and perhaps the most beautiful, are attempts to put to paper the way a place makes one feel, as with The Angels Bathing Pool in Montana’s Mission Mountains. No matter the origin, it is important for geographic features to have standardized names. It was just a function of how Anglo-Americans moved across the landscape that the names of modern features were not all configured at once, and so while one pioneer came across a creek in northeast Montana that had cottonwood trees on it and so proclaimed it Cottonwood Creek, a miner in southwest Montana came across a similar creek and did the same thing.
    [Show full text]
  • ACS CAN Day at the Capitol 2017 Team List
    ACS CAN Day at the Capitol 2017 Team List Contact [email protected] with questions Last First Senator Assemblymember Team Region Conners Gordon Little Jones 1 Capital Cunningham Mary Little Stec 1 Capital Grignon Michael Tedisco Steck 1 Capital Hawkins Jay Breslin Steck 1 Capital LaSalvia Heather Little Stec 1 Capital LeBlanc Conni Little Jones 1 Capital Lipscomb Mashama Breslin McDonald 1 Capital Murphy Karen Breslin Steck 1 Capital Sterling Joan Little Jones 1 Capital Darwak Frank Marchione Woerner 2 Capital Darwak Stephanie Marchione Woerner 2 Capital Lee Lisa Tedisco Walsh 2 Capital McArdle Joslyn Marchione McLaughlin 2 Capital Mrazik Tina Tedisco Steck 2 Capital Porter Betsey Marchione Woerner 2 Capital Rightmyer Judy Tedisco Walsh 2 Capital Romand Denise Marchione Woerner 2 Capital Sciocchetti Tina Tedisco Steck 2 Capital Shoemaker Shane Marchione McLaughlin 2 Capital Staves Sheila Tedisco Walsh 2 Capital Westervelt Tara Marchione Walsh 2 Capital Woodcock Sheila Marchione Walsh 2 Capital Allen Maxwell Regina Bailey Heastie 3 Bronx Archer Linda Diaz Crespo 3 Bronx Jones Sarah Diaz Joyner 3 Bronx Moore Nitisha Diaz Sepulveda 3 Bronx Nesbit Jacqueline Bailey Gjonaj 3 Bronx Torres Sonia Bailey Gjonaj 3 Bronx Boyd Paula Parker Perry 4 Brooklyn/Staten Island Boyd Nathan Parker Perry 4 Brooklyn/Staten Island Brown Cheryze Savino Cusick 4 Brooklyn/Staten Island Hicks Joyce Montgomery Wright 4 Brooklyn/Staten Island Hochberg Barbara Persaud Weinstein 4 Brooklyn/Staten Island Lambert Kareen Parker Weinstein 4 Brooklyn/Staten Island
    [Show full text]
  • March 6 Horticultural Society of New York New York City
    2013 Annual Meeting March 6 Horticultural Society of New York New York City 2012 Supportive Housing Openings Association for Rehabilitative Case Management 55 units for individuals living with mental illness Funding Capital: OMH, DASNY, HCR LIHTC (4%) Operations/Services: OMH Architect Trig and Li Architects Contractor Aurora Contractors Syndicator Richman Housing Resources 74 Avenue A: Queens CAMBA 52 units: 32 formerly homeless and 20 low- income individuals Funding Capital: HPD SHLP, NYC Council, NYSERDA, FHLB Operations/Services: DOHMH, Section 8 Pre-Development/Acquisition: DB SHARE Architect Dattner Architects Contractor Galaxy General Contracting Syndicator Enterprise 97 Crooke: Brooklyn Center for Urban Community Services 92 units: 44 NY/NY III individuals, 11 NY/NY III families, 29 low-income individuals, 8 low-income families Funding Capital: HPD SHLP & LIHTC, Enterprise, NYSERDA Operations/Services: DOHMH NY/NY III Pre-Development/Acquisition: DB SHARE, NYC Acquisition Fund Architect Harden + Van Arnam Architects Contractor Mega Contracting Syndicator Enterprise Lenniger Residences: Bronx Common Ground Community 80 units: 41 formerly homeless and 39 low-income individuals Funding Capital: OTDA, HCR HTF & LIHTC, FHLB, City of Rochester, JP Morgan Chase Operations/Services: HUD S+C Architect Bergman Associates Contractor Norstar Building Corp. Syndicator Goldman Sachs Services Provider PathStone Eastman Commons: Rochester Common Ground Community 161 units: 100 NY/NY III and 61 low-income individuals Funding Capital: HCR HFA,
    [Show full text]
  • NOTHING to HIDE: Tools for Talking (And Listening) About Data Privacy for Integrated Data Systems
    NOTHING TO HIDE: Tools for Talking (and Listening) About Data Privacy for Integrated Data Systems OCTOBER 2018 Acknowledgements: We extend our thanks to the AISP Network and Learning Community, whose members provided their support and input throughout the development of this toolkit. Special thanks to Whitney Leboeuf, Sue Gallagher, and Tiffany Davenport for sharing their experiences and insights about IDS privacy and engagement, and to FPF Policy Analyst Amy Oliver and FPF Policy Intern Robert Martin for their contributions to this report. We would also like to thank our partners at Third Sector Capital Partners and the Annie E. Casey Foundation for their support. This material is based upon work supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Opinions or points of view expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of, or a position that is endorsed by, CNCS or the Social Innovation Fund. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Why engage and communicate about privacy? ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Using this toolkit to establish social license to integrate data .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Forgotten Fifth: Rural Youth and Substance Abuse
    THE FORGOTTEN FIFTH: RURAL YOUTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE Lisa R. Pruitt* This Article seeks to raise the visibility of the roughly twenty percent of the U.S. population who live in rural places—an often forgotten fifth—in rela- tion to the particular challenges presented by adolescent substance abuse. De- spite popular notions that substance abuse is essentially an urban phenomenon, recent data demonstrate that it is also a significant problem in rural America. Rural youth now abuse most substances, including alcohol and tobacco, at higher rates and at younger ages than their urban peers. The Article assesses the social, economic and spatial milieu in which rural adolescent substance abuse has burgeoned. Features of some rural communi- ties, such as a tolerance for youth and lenient and informal law enforcement responses, appear to benefit youth. Indeed, these are consistent with juvenile justice trends, such as diversion programs. Yet other characteristics of rural communities, such as limited social service and healthcare infrastructures, un- dermine the efficacy of such programs. Arguing that national drug policies often reflect urban agendas and leave rural communities disserved, this Article calls for policies that are more sensi- tive to rural contexts. It advocates nuanced empirical research that will provide a more comprehensive understanding of rural risk factors and, in turn, inform rural prevention, treatment, and diversion programs. Finally, it argues that fed- eral, state, and local responses to adolescent substance abuse must tackle defi- ciencies in rural infrastructure, while keeping in mind factors that differentiate rural places from what has become the implicit urban norm in law- and policy- * Professor of Law, University of California, Davis.
    [Show full text]
  • OECD Regions at a Glance Regions Are High on the Policy Agenda of OECD Countries
    OECD Regions at a Glance Regions are high on the policy agenda of OECD countries. And it is no wonder. Just 10% of regions accounted for more than half of total employment creation in most OECD countries between 1998 and 2003. This means that national growth tends to be driven by the dynamism of a small number of regions. Policy makers need sound statistical information on the source of regional competitiveness, OECD Regions but such information is not always available. Sub-national data are limited and regional indicators are difficult to compare between countries. OECD Regions at a Glance aims to fill this gap by analysing and comparing major territorial patterns and regional trends across OECD countries. It assesses the at a Glance impact of regions on national growth. It identifies unused resources that can be mobilised to improve regional competitiveness. And it tackles more intangible factors that can make the difference: it shows how regions compete in terms of well-being (access to higher education, health services, safety, etc.). This publication presents over 30 indicators in a reader-friendly format. Each indicator is illustrated by graphs and maps. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each graph and map, which directs the user to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel®. OECD Regions at a Glance The full text of this book is available on line via these links: www.sourceoecd.org/governance/9789264009875 www.sourceoecd.org/regionaldevelopment/9789264009875 Those with access to all OECD books on line should use this link: www.sourceoecd.org/9789264009875 SourceOECD is the OECD’s online library of books, periodicals and statistical databases.
    [Show full text]
  • New York City Census Blocks for 2000 US Census Metadata
    Page 1 of 11 New York City Census Blocks for 2000 US Census ESRI Shapefile Tags New York, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Richmond, boundaries, Bronx, Kings, boundary, borough, Staten Island, New York City, LIONdistricts, Monthly Summary These districts were created by the Department of City Planning to aid city agencies in administering public services. Description The Census Blocks for the 2000 US Census boundary files are derived from the US Census Bureau's TIGER project and have been geographically modified to fit the New York City base map. Because some census blocks are under water not all census blocks are contained in this file, only census blocks that are partially or totally located on land have been mapped in this file. Credits Department of City Planning. Use limitations This dataset is being provided by the Department of City Planning (DCP) on DCP’s website for informational purposes only. DCP does not warranty the completeness, accuracy, content, or fitness for any particular purpose or use of the dataset, nor are any such warranties to be implied or inferred with respect to the dataset as furnished on the website. DCP and the City are not liable for any deficiencies in the completeness, accuracy, content, or fitness for any particular purpose or use the dataset, or applications utilizing the dataset, provided by any third party. Page 2 of 11 Extent West -74.257159 East -73.699215 North 40.915568 South 40.495992 Scale Range Maximum (zoomed in) 1:5,000 Minimum (zoomed out) 1:150,000,000 ArcGIS Metadata ► Topics and Keywords
    [Show full text]
  • Answer in Full Sentences Title: William's Government Changes
    Title: William’s government changes Who was Lanfranc? (1 Describe two changes of What was forfeiture? (1 point) the feudal system (2 point) points) What was demesne? (2 How did William change What was knight points) life in Norman England? service? (1 point) (3 points, 1 per change) What was homage? (1 How did William reduce How did William point) the role of the earls? (2 Normanise the church? points) (3 points) How many points can you get? Answer in full sentences Title: How did William use the government to increase his own power? How does the Rule of law, role of the individual government liberty compare today? Learning Objectives -Describe the changes William made to the government. -Explain why William reduced the role of the Earls and used regents. -Assess the importance of the office of the sheriff and the demesne. Granted land and tax concessions William I Provided peace, law, protection in Knight service according to set quote return for loyalty and service Tax (and reliefs) Justice (baronial courts) Tenants-in-chief (Lords, bishops and abbots) Granted land and other privileges Military service in return for land Tax (and reliefs) Under-tenants Justice (manorial courts) (Vassals) Land service (farming on vassal’s Provided land to be worked land)/ Rent Peasants (Some free men, but the majority were bound to one lord) Key terms: King (William I), Vassals, under-tenants, tenants-in-chief, peasants, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txA48AcJNmg&t=288s granted land, knight service, military service, land service, tax, justice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUzRNp7OucQ Learning Objectives -Describe the changes William made to the government.
    [Show full text]
  • Rural America in Transition: Poverty and Welfare at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century
    Upjohn Institute Press Rural America in Transition: Poverty and Welfare at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century Daniel T. Lichter Ohio State University Leif Jensen Pennsylvania State University Chapter 3 (pp. 77-110) in: Rural Dimensions of Welfare Reform Bruce A. Weber, Greg J. Duncan, and Leslie A. Whitener, eds. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2002 DOI: 10.17848/9781417508884.ch3 Copyright ©2002. W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. All rights reserved. 3 Rural America in Transition Poverty and Welfare at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century Daniel T. Lichter The Ohio State University Leif Jensen Pennsylvania State University The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 ended the nation’s largest cash assistance program (Aid to Families with Dependent Children [AFDC]) and replaced it with Temporary Assistance for Needy Fami- lies (TANF). The new legislation has sought to end dependence on public assistance by “promoting job preparation, work and marriage.” To early critics of the bill, “the end of welfare as we know it” was a leg- islative calamity, one that would bring new material hardships and so- cial injustice to America’s most vulnerable and innocent population— children living with low-income, single mothers. These early fears have not materialized. Rather than rising, the poverty rate among America’s children, although still high, fell in 1998 to its lowest level (18.9 percent) in almost 20 years. Welfare reform happened at a propitious time. The United States began the twenty-first century in the midst of its longest economic ex- pansion in modern economic history.
    [Show full text]