Wonkbook: How 20 years of welfare reform have changed American poverty

By Max Ehrenfreund Twenty years ago, President Clinton kept a promise. "I have a plan to end welfare as we know it," he said in a television spot during his campaign for office. He did, on Aug. 22, 1996. The law that the president signed that day, together with other policies enacted by Congress and the states, profoundly changed the lives of poor …   The latest economic and domestic policy from Wonkblog   President Clinton discusses welfare reform at Vanderbilt University in Nashville on Oct. 27, 1996. (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images) By Max Ehrenfreund Twenty years ago, President Clinton kept a promise. "I have a plan to end welfare as we know it," he said in a television spot during his campaign for office. He did, on Aug. 22, 1996. The law that the president signed that day, together with other policies enacted by Congress and the states, profoundly changed the lives of poor Americans. It was intensely controversial at the time — a controversy that is heating up again today. New data on the hardships of poverty in the aftermath of the recent recession have exposed what critics say are shortcomings of welfare reform. Clinton ended the traditional welfare system, called Aid to Families With Dependent Children, under which very poor Americans were effectively entitled to receive financial support from the federal government. In the new system, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, applicants must meet a range of strict requirements that vary by state to get help — working, volunteering, looking for a job or participating in skills training. ADVERTISEMENT   Here are nine things we know about how the lives of America's poor have changed. Read the rest on Wonkblog.   Number of the day $14 billion. That's how much Pfizer will spend to acquire the pharmaceutical Medivation, which includes several drugs for cancer in its portfolio. Carolyn Y. Johnson has more.   Top policy tweets "The world of GOP intellectuals has been upended by Donald Trump. What is there to do but carry on? https://t.co/lyzEHRswsS" -- @continetti "good piece by @dylanmatt about the implications of a 6-3 liberal SCOTUS majority https://t.co/f8UFhNbIgu" -- @ryanlcooper "This is a really smart, accessible framing of the discussion around secular stagnation and falling r* by @binarybits https://t.co/81cS7L13hz" -- @Neil_Irwin Most Recent Posts from Wonkblog Sexism is over, according to most men Are the days of equality finally here? By Danielle Paquette  •  Read more »   How welfare reform changed American poverty, in 9 charts Twenty years after Clinton signed the controversial welfare reform bill, it's legacy endures. By Max Ehrenfreund  •  Read more »   Pfizer to acquire Medivation for $14 billion "The proposed acquisition of Medivation is expected to immediately accelerate revenue growth and drive overall earnings growth potential for Pfizer," the company's chief executive said. By Carolyn Y. Johnson  •  Read more »   Why Donald Trump’s 1980s-style campaign is struggling in 2016 The GOP presidential nominee ignores the data revolution in politics — and it could cost him. By Jim Tankersley  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   Federal Insider Federal news and policy update, in your inbox daily. Sign Up »         Share Wonkbook:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for a Wonkblog newsletter. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2016 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071