The Center  on Budget and Policy Priorities has prepared a report that looks at the war on poverty advocated by President Lyndon Johnson and passed by the U.S. Congress 50 years ago. Other programs have been added over time, but it has been tough going. Over 20 percent of all children in America live in poverty.

The debate continues–not only about whether the war on poverty has worked but how to measure poverty. The CBPP provides an overview of the issues along with its perspective that the programs have worked to reduce poverty but there is still way too much poverty and that it has impacted some groups more than others. To read more Click Here

The New York Times has also published an interactive map of poverty in America. Clearly, some areas have much higher rates of poverty–well over 30 percent. To check it out:Click Here

Of course, some of the programs provide supports and services to lessen the impact of poverty, such as Head Start and Medicaid. Neither of those programs reduce poverty, although certainly there is great hope that Head Start will provide children with early skills that will enable them to be successful in school and go on to college. Medicaid provides health care so poor children have access to services that their families can not afford.  Measuring the impact is certainly challenging, but only the most hardened Scrooges among us would be unwilling to grant that without these programs, far more people would live in poverty and would suffer far more deleterious effects if no safety net was in place.