Poverty in America has been an intractable issue, despite nearly a century of public programs attempting to alleviate it.In recent years, the issue of poverty has increased in America where it seems government assistance programs seem to have little to no effect. The U.S government spends around “$1 trillion a year at the federal,state, and local levels, and yet 21% of children under the age of 18 live in families with incomes below the federal poverty threshold.” A government assistance program or welfare is when a low-income family applies for help to make ends meet. Recipients must prove their income falls below an average rate. The three major welfare programs in the U.S are TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance (Section 8). TANF, Temporary
