Neither Liberal or Conservative Approaches to Welfare
The public’s thinking on welfare does not fit easily into either liberal or conservative political frameworks. People support elements of the conservative approach, like time limits and work requirements, along with elements of the liberal approach, like more job training and child care for welfare mothers. Before the 1996 changes to the welfare laws, people distrusted both liberal and conservative predictions about the consequences of reform.
The public’s thinking on welfare does not fit easily into either liberal or conservative political frameworks. People support elements of the conservative approach, like time limits and work requirements, along with elements of the liberal approach, like more job training and child care for welfare mothers. Before the 1996 changes to the welfare laws, people distrusted both liberal and conservative predictions about the consequences of reform.
- Americans say they support a number of proposals to help poor people directly, such as expanding day care and increasing...
- Parents say it is important for families on welfare to have parents work, even if it means using child care
- People distrusted both liberal and conservative predictions about the consequences of reform
- The majority of Americans say low-income families should get child care assistance and parents say that poor children need...









