Conservatives consistently argue for less and less support of the poor and those who cannot fully care for themselves, like children, the elderly, and those with disabilities while progressives argue precisely the opposite. Indeed, this is one of the most important divides between American liberals and American conservatives.

Welfare as we understand it today really begins with the New Deal of FDR. Since then it has become more or less generous from one administration to another, with some surprises. Ronald Reagan, as one might expect, cut welfare benefits, as did George W. Bush. But Bill Clinton did as well, as a part of what he called the "third way," which he intended to be a middle way between traditional conservative and liberal strategies (Fraker & Jacobson, 2000).

Current welfare support for the American poor is at levels far too low to provide evenly minimal care by any decent standard. This...
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