Private and public welfare programs have provided those in need with basic necessitiesa??including food, clothing, health services, and housinga??throughout the history of the United States. But the debate over welfare is contentious: it concerns basic ideas about the proper function, size, and obligations of government, and these topics lie at the heart of America's conservative/liberal divide. Despite a major reform of welfare in the 1990s, economists continue to dispute the effects of welfare on neighborhoods, families, and employment. Welfare and Welfare Reform provides the clear and essential information that readers need to understand and research welfare issues. This timely volume demystifies today's tangled system of welfare laws, amendments, spending mandates, block grants, eligibility and work requirements, and tax policies. Resources include capsule biographies, summaries of key cases such as Standard Machine Company v. Davis, a research guide, an annotated bibliography, historic documents such as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and an overview of the welfare debate in U.S. history beginning with the first public almshouses in the North American British colonies. This new book is an ideal tool for policymakers and administrators as well as teachers, students, parents, and the general public. Coverage includes: A? Eligibility and work requirements defined by the reforms of 1996 and 2005 A? How welfare legislation impacts enforcement of child support A? The ongoing debate over welfare for immigrants.