While the programs of the War on Poverty were national initiatives and federally funded, areas of the country responded differently and geographic variations created unique needs across state lines. Most research in this field discusses state level antipoverty programs and initiatives as individual occurrences, as if a program in one state were not related to the program of the same name in a state across the country. While the implementation of programs varied across states, they all played a role in the success of the federal initiative. The freedom granted to state level government allowed them to design programs unique to their communities and its needs. These distinctions meant each state was successful l in its own right, which equated to a major national accomplishment. What cannot be ignored is the way in which the federal and local governments interacted and how that impacted the programs and the WOP. Programs to existed under different local leadership with different expectations for diverse populations.
Poverty and the poor, particularly in the era of Johnson, cannot be discussed without mentioning the relationship with race. The War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement occurred simultaneously and were interrelated along racial lines. Historically, the poor of America were primarily racial minorities; …show more content…
Wesley G. Phelps’ A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston emphasizes the role of the WOP in urban centers, with his specific focus in Texas. He argues the differences between activism and aid in urban and rural centers, declaring the WOP was most helpful in cities where the poor were more concentrated. As Texas is one of the examples used in this work, Phelps benefits in that way, as well as, in exemplifying why localized anti-poverty programs are a critical aspect of the WOP in evaluating how it was implemented across the
Poverty and the poor, particularly in the era of Johnson, cannot be discussed without mentioning the relationship with race. The War on Poverty and the Civil Rights Movement occurred simultaneously and were interrelated along racial lines. Historically, the poor of America were primarily racial minorities; …show more content…
Wesley G. Phelps’ A People's War on Poverty: Urban Politics and Grassroots Activists in Houston emphasizes the role of the WOP in urban centers, with his specific focus in Texas. He argues the differences between activism and aid in urban and rural centers, declaring the WOP was most helpful in cities where the poor were more concentrated. As Texas is one of the examples used in this work, Phelps benefits in that way, as well as, in exemplifying why localized anti-poverty programs are a critical aspect of the WOP in evaluating how it was implemented across the