Poverty Now

"Poverty Now" looks at the reasons behind the persistence of poverty and inequality in the United States, and examines a range of policies to address these problems. Moderated by the LBJ School's James Galbraith and Patricia Ruggles, the series brings experts on a range of topics relating to poverty to discuss these issues with the LBJ School community.

All session content, including associated videos, readings and summaries, is free and available here and on the LBJ School YouTube channel.

"Poverty Now" Speaker Series

In his 1964 State of the Union address, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an "unconditional war" on poverty. That war established a range of new programs designed to reduce poverty and inequality in the United States, and laid the foundation for today's anti-poverty programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps); Medicare; Medicaid; Head Start; and expanded Social Security benefits. Through the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and Civil Rights Act of 1965, progress was also made in fighting systemic barriers to success faced by Blacks and other minorities. Together, these initiatives reduced poverty and inequality substantially during the 1960s and 1970s.

Visible progress against poverty largely stopped with the recession of the early 1980s, however, and under most poverty measures the proportion of the population in poverty has largely held steady since then. The programs introduced during the war on poverty continue to lift many families out of poverty and to improve the circumstances of many others—today's poverty population would be 30 to 50 percent larger if these programs didn't exist. But a large share of families—particularly those headed by single parents and by minorities—continue to be poor. And the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to greatly increase the proportion of Americans suffering from serious economic distress.

Moderated by LBJ School faculty members James Galbraith and Patricia Ruggles, "Poverty Now" brings experts on a range of topics relating to poverty to discuss these issues with the LBJ School community. The series examines how poverty affects different populations in the U.S., such as the elderly, women and minorities, and looks at the factors that affect economic mobility and that work to maintain inequality. We consider why efforts to reduce poverty and inequality seem to have largely stalled, and how the pandemic may increase economic hardship, both in the short run and over the longer term. Our broader goal is to look at what needs to be done to restart progress against poverty and inequality in the United States.

Sessions