New Findings From War on Poverty: Just Give Cash

There is a typical debate that tends to happen whenever people start talking about poverty. Conservatives try to blame poverty on the bad behavior of the poor. If lower-income people would just get married, stay married, avoid drugs, work hard and not commit crimes, say the conservatives, the poor would make a lot more money. Liberals typically assert that it’s the structures of society that cause poverty, not individual failings. Poor kids start with a disadvantage because of residential segregation and bad schools. Powerful bosses hold down the wages of unskilled workers, making it difficult for them to escape poverty. Even good behavior, liberals say, wouldn’t help the poor get ahead.

This is a tired and familiar argument, and I’m sure that the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between. But I’ve been seeing some recent research that tends to shift my view toward the liberal side of the debate. Basically, we’re starting to learn that what conservatives label “bad behavior” is often a result of growing up poor.