The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered an unprecedented shock to the United States and the world. It is unclear precisely how long the twin crises, epidemiological and economic, will last, and it is difficult to gauge the extent and direction of the changes in American life these crises will cause....

To address the staggering problem of child poverty in the United States, Congress may soon enact a child allowance akin to those in other high-income countries. As lawmakers debate doing so, they must consider the design of rules that determine how benefits are distributed. Among the more...