welfare

Facts

In 1996, "welfare as we knew it" went through a massive overhaul, putting caps on how long welfare recipients could stay on the dole and requiring they work and/or study along the way. At the 10th anniversary marker of welfare reform, most pundits were revelling in the success of reform, while a few critics wonder if the drop in welfare roles doesn't have a dark side (see poverty). Now with a recession in full swing and jobs drying up, some wonder if a welfare system that depends on work can still hold out.

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