What this new experiment in Chicago can teach us about combating poverty

A tweak to a powerful anti-poverty tool is yielding encouraging results

Finally, help.
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In an age of rising inequality and stagnating incomes, we must look for ways to get smarter about fighting economic insecurity. This means adapting successful anti-poverty interventions to meet the needs of low-income Americans.

Take the Earned Income Tax Credit. Though it was once a small tax break for the working poor, it has since morphed into our most valuable tool against working-age poverty in the wake of 1990s welfare reform. Every year, the EITC provides as much as $6,000 in additional income to low-income families and saves more than six million people from poverty. This dwarfs the reach and impact of what remains of traditional welfare.

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Joel Dodge

Joel Dodge writes about politics, law, and domestic policy for The Week and at his blog. He is a member of the Boston University School of Law's class of 2014.