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Title: How Johnson Fought the War on Poverty: The Economics and Politics of Funding at the Office of Economic Opportunity

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2013

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Abstract: This paper presents a novel quantitative analysis of the War on Povertys political economy through the lens of the legislation that came to define it: 1964 Economic Opportunity Act (EOA). Consistent with the eras lofty rhetoric, the Johnson administration systematically directed EOA funding toward poorer areas. Approximately 25 percent of the variation in county-level EOA funding outside of the South is explained by measures of poverty. In contrast, political considerations appear to have played a minor role. Choosing poverty over politics as usual may help explain why the War on Poverty, unlike the New Deal, is remembered as a failure.

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Authors: Duquette, Nicolas J.; Bailey, Martha J.

Publisher: University of Michigan

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Poverty and Welfare

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