The cash and near cash safety net in the U.S. has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past fifteen years. Federal welfare reform has led to the "elimination of welfare as we know it" and several tax reforms have substantially increased the role of "in-work"' assistance. In 2010, we spent...

Labor supply theory makes strong predictions about how the introduction of a social welfare program impacts work effort. Although there is a large literature on the work incentive effects of AFDC and the EITC, relatively little is known about the work incentive effects of the Food Stamp Program...

During the 30 years, the composition of white and black families in the US has changed dramatically. In 1960, less than 10% of families with children were headed by a single mother, while in 1990 more than 20% of families with children were headed by females. A large body of research has focused...