A Transitional Era Trattner 15

Nixon’s Orientation Appealed to unhappy middle class Self help, individual responsibility and private action stressed Suspicious of welfare fraud and bureaucracy Proposed Family Assistance Plan (federally guaranteed minimum income) but later abandoned

Poverty had declined from 20% in 1960 to 12% by 1969 Still, proposals to reduce further (negative income tax) Welfare Rights Organization aroused activism of poor

Gains Under Nixon 1972 raised Social Security by 20% Created SSI from Old Age Assistance, Aid to Blind and Aid to Permanently Disabled SSI set national floor for “deserving poor” at much higher than AFDC Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Established Earned Income Tax Credit

Established Comprehensive Employment and Training Act Established Title XX (social services for poor and near poor) 11% increase in Social Security in 1974 and provision for automatic COLA Nixon’s changes were procedural and administrative – but had big impacts

Ford/Carter Era Little for poor under Ford Carter was populist but largely ineffective in improving lives of the poor Unemployment rose to 7.8 and inflation was 10.9 Economy in poor shape when he was defeated by Reagan, an anti-tax governor