Americans have never completely agreed on the most effective way to Match each quote with a president and combat poverty, and our level of engagement has varied with the times. write the letter next to the speaker’s portrait... on Presidents Poverty Need examples? Here are a few excerpts from presidential speeches on poverty. Your task: Match the excerpt with the appropriate president. A DC GE GJ “Given a chance to go forward with the “In this society, we are conservative “If a free society cannot help the many who “A government big enough to give you Herbert Hoover Gerald Ford policies of the last eight years, we shall soon, about the values and principles which are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” everything you want is a government big with the help of God, be in sight of the day we cherish; but we are forward-looking enough to take from you everything you have.” when poverty will be banished from this in protecting those values and principles nation.” and in extending their benefits. We have “Economic depression cannot be rejected the discredited theory that H the fortunes of the Nation should be in HK cured by legislative action or executive “This administration today, here and now, the hands of a privileged few. We have pronouncement. Economic wounds must declares unconditional war on poverty “The measure of a society is found in how they abandoned the “trickle-down” concept be healed by the action of the cells of in America. I urge this Congress and all treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.” Franklin D Roosevelt Jimmy Carter of national prosperity. Instead, we believe the economic body—the producers and Americans to join with me in that effort.” consumers themselves.” that our economic system should rest on a democratic foundation and that wealth “Unfortunately, many Americans live on should be created for the benefit of all. the outskirts of hope—some because of their poverty, and some because of their L The American people have decided that H color, and all too many because of both. B poverty is just as wasteful and just as “The size of the federal budget is not an Our task is to help replace their despair unnecessary as preventable disease. We appropriate barometer of social conscience “This social security measure gives at with opportunity.” have pledged our common resources to help or charitable concern.” Harry Truman Ronald Reagan least some protection to thirty millions of our citizens who will reap direct benefits one another in the hazards and struggles through unemployment compensation, of individual life. We believe that no unfair through old-age pensions and through prejudice or artificial distinction should bar any F increased services for the protection of citizen of the United States of America from an I MI children and the prevention of ill health. “ education, or from good health, or from a job “We face an urban crisis, a social crisis— that he is capable of performing.” “The fact is prosperity has a purpose. “We can never insure one hundred percent and at the same time, a crisis of confidence It is to allow us to pursue ’the better of the population against one hundred in the capacity of government to do its job. angels,’ to give us time to think and Dwight D Eisenhower George HW Bush percent of the hazards and vicissitudes A third of a century of centralizing grow. Prosperity with a purpose means of life, but we have tried to frame a DE power and responsibility in Washington taking your idealism and making it law which will give some measure of has produced a bureaucratic monstrosity, concrete by certain acts of goodness. protection to the average citizen and to his “Every gun that is made, every warship cumbersome, unresponsive, ineffective. It means helping a child from an family against the loss of a job and against launched, every rocket fired signifies in the A third of a century of social experiment has unhappy home learn how to read— poverty-ridden old age.“ final sense, a theft from those who hunger left us a legacy of entrenched programs and I thank my wife Barbara for all and are not fed, those who are cold and her work in literacy. It means teaching are not clothed. This world in arms is not that have outlived their time or outgrown their purposes. troubled children through your presence John F Kennedy Bill Clinton spending money alone. It is spending the that there’s such a thing as reliable sweat of its laborers, the genius of its A third of a century of unprecedented CJ love. Some would say it’s soft and scientists, the hopes of its children. This is growth and change has strained our insufficiently tough to care about these “Today, we are ending welfare as we know not a way of life at all in any true sense.” institutions, and raised serious questions about things. But where is it written that we it, but I hope this day will be remembered whether they are still adequate to the times. must act as if we do not care, as if we not for what it ended, but for what it began.” It is no accident, therefore, that we are not moved? “While far from perfect, this legislation find increasing skepticism—and not Well I am moved. I want a kinder, provides an historic opportunity to end F only among our young people, but gentler nation.” Lyndon B Johnson George W Bush welfare as we know it and transform our “I call my philosophy and approach among citizens everywhere—about the broken welfare system by promoting the compassionate conservatism. It is continuing capacity of government to fundamental values of work, responsibility, compassionate to actively help our master the challenges we face. and family.” fellow citizens in need. It is conservative Nowhere has the failure of government N to insist on responsibility and results. been more tragically apparent than in its “In the 21st century, one of the best anti-poverty And with this hopeful approach, we will efforts to help the poor and especially in programs is a world-class education.” make a difference in people’s lives.” its system of public welfare.” Richard Nixon Barack Obama Answers: A-Herbert Hoover B-Franklin D Roosevelt C-Bill Clinton D-Harry Truman E-Dwight D Eisenhower F- George W Bush G-John F Kennedy H-Lyndon B Johnson I-Richard Nixon J-Gerald Ford K-Jimmy Carter L-Ronald Reagan M-Geaorge HW Bush N-Barack Obama N-Barack Bush HW M-Geaorge Reagan L-Ronald Carter K-Jimmy Ford J-Gerald Nixon I-Richard Johnson B H-Lyndon Kennedy F G-John Bush W George F- Eisenhower D E-Dwight Truman D-Harry Clinton C-Bill Roosevelt D B-Franklin Hoover A-Herbert Answers:.