The 1996 Welfare Reform Act was the most significant changes in social welfare policy in nearly 30 years. The Poverty of Welfare examines the impact of that reform, looking at the context of welfare's history, and concludes that while welfare reform was a step in the right direction, we have a long way to go to fix the deeply troubled system. Tanner suggests that we should be working toward the total elimination of government welfare programs, substituting a renewed and invigorated program of private charity and economic opportunity.
