Why has poverty in the United States been so controversial? Why do political discussions of poverty seem to continually rely on the same set of ideas? This book shows that answers to these questions can be found in the political tradition of civic republicanism that made sense in America's agricultural era but which fail to correspond with the realities of modern economic conditions. Three policy areas: homeownership for the poor, cash-aid programs, and policies to help the poor become owners of productive assets are examined, followed by Zundel's ideas for designing poverty policy for the new millennium.