Reports on Poverty

New Opportunities?
Public Opinion on Poverty, Income Inequality and Public Policy, 1996-2002
October 1, 2002.   An analysis of public support for policies that would bolster incomes and enhance opportunity, and an examination of the underlying values that shape people's opinions about poverty.

Crossing Divides
New Common Ground on Poverty and Economic Security, September 1, 2002.
Examining four cases of policymaking during the 1990s -- the Earned Income Tax Credit, Individual Development Accounts, the Children's Health Insurance Plan, and Empowerment Zones -- suggests some emerging common ground among liberal and conservative policymakers.

The Iowa Policy Project reports one in five Iowa families do not meet basic costs of running a household. “The problem in Iowa is low wages. People are working long hours, and still having a tough time making ends meet," said Jan Flora.  See an Executive Summary of the report.

A recent GAO study on Support for Low Income Familiesnotes that while most states subsidize public transport and child care, and offer employment services, fewer states subsidize child care for sick children, offer employment retention bonuses for parents who find and retain employment, or assist with the purchase of used cars.

Low-Income Working Families Are Dispersed throughout the Nation.   A Brookings Institute analysis of Earned Income Tax Credit data finds that low-income working families live in large cities and rural areas in nearly equal numbers, creating common policy interests for supporters of urban neighborhoods and small rural towns alike.

The Children Left Behind: Deeper Poverty, Fewer Supports 40-hour Work Proposal Significantly Raises Mothers' Employment Standard

Reducing Hawaii's Income Tax On Working-Poor Families: Three Options
Bob Zahradnik
3/11/04 -- 97K-HTML, 101K-PDF, 5pp.

San Diego Snapshot: Making Ends Meet

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