Volume 31, Number 1 (Winter) 1996
Hungerford, Thomas L. 1996. "The Distribution and Anti-Poverty Effectiveness of U.S. Transfers, 1992." Journal of Human Resources 31(1):255-273.
In 1992, federal, state, and local governments spent almost $1.3 trillion for social welfare programs. This paper examines program participation and the anti-poverty effectiveness of nine selected social welfare programs. The results suggest that the benefits from these programs are fairly well targeted-with the elderly, disabled, and those with poor labor market prospects receiving most of the benefits.
Thomas L. Hungerford is an economist at the U.S. General Accounting Office and a professor of economics at The American University. The views presented here do not represent the views of the U.S. General Accounting Office. The author would like to thank Daniel Weinberg and two anonymous referees for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper. Any remaining errors are, of course, the responsibility of the author. The data used in this article can be obtained beginning in August 1996 through July 1999 from the author; Department of Economics, The American University, Washington, D.C. 20016.
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