The effectiveness of the U.S. social safety net continues to be an important national issue. Societal changes such as population diversification, policy shifts, and declining employment have increased the demand to evaluate the social safety net programs and their impacts.
 
This volume of The ANNALS offers a comprehensive consideration of eleven of the most prominent entitlement programs in the United States, reflecting on their ability to support Americans and examining necessary reforms to expand on current successes. Paying particular attention to the often-understated complexity of these programs, this volume presents innovative solutions to issues of economic security and illuminates the need for continued research on the social safety net, its capacity, and its potential.