Two Histories of the Public Safety Net

Although poverty in the United States has declined over the last half century, it remains a serious problem. This article charts the historical development of the public safety net, starting with means-tested programs and then adding inclusive social insurance programs. Over time, programs targeted at people with low incomes gradually shifted from the local to the state to the national level. Nevertheless, they remained politically vulnerable as policymakers questioned the deservingness of recipients and often tried to limit cash welfare. Those concerns were less salient with inclusive programs like Social Security and Medicare, which expanded rapidly between 1950 and 1980, largely to the benefit of older Americans. The concluding section highlights recent trends that challenge the supposed weakness of means-tested programs and strength of inclusive programs.