Chapter 1

1. Bob Herbert argues that welfare programs have kept millions of children out of poverty. Dick Armey contends that children who live in families that receive welfare are more likely than other children to become welfare recipients when they reach adulthood. After reading these viewpoints, do you think it is more important to focus on the present conditions of poor children or what their lives will be like when they become adults? Explain your decision. 2. The extent of economic inequality is disputed by the National Catholic Reporter and John C. Weicher. After reading their viewpoints, do you think that economic inequality is a relevant yardstick when measuring the severity of poverty? Why or why not? Should poverty be based on a relative measurement— how much money one has compared to other people—or an absolute measurement? Explain your answer. 3. Bradley Schiller's central thesis is...