Changes

Dr. [[Thomas Sowell]] observed that "despite the grand myth that black economic progress began or accelerated with the passage of the civil rights laws and "war on poverty" programs of the 1960s, the cold fact is that the poverty rate among blacks fell from 87% in 1940 to 47% by 1960."<ref>[https://www.creators.com/read/thomas-sowell/11/14/a-legacy-of-liberalism A Legacy of Liberalism], By Dr. Thomas Sowell, November 18, 2014.</ref>  The war on poverty increased the percentage of mothers and children dependent on the federal government to keep them above the poverty line. Although the number of dependent people had been declining for decades before the "war on poverty" began, this downward trend reversed itself and had a devastating effect on the black family structure, and black communities overall.  Fathers were driven out of the home so that females could meet eligibility requirements, young males' marriage and family prospects precipitously dropped, out of wedlock births and street gangs, crime, and violence proliferated in coming decades.  

Dr. [[Thomas Sowell]] observed that "despite the grand myth that black economic progress began or accelerated with the passage of the civil rights laws and "war on poverty" programs of the 1960s, the cold fact is that the poverty rate among blacks fell from 87% in 1940 to 47% by 1960."<ref>[https://www.creators.com/read/thomas-sowell/11/14/a-legacy-of-liberalism A Legacy of Liberalism], By Dr. Thomas Sowell, November 18, 2014.</ref>  The war on poverty increased the percentage of mothers and children dependent on the federal government to keep them above the poverty line. Although the number of dependent people had been declining for decades before the "war on poverty" began, this downward trend reversed itself and had a devastating effect on the black family structure, and black communities overall.  Fathers were driven out of the home so that females could meet eligibility requirements, young males' marriage and family prospects precipitously dropped, out of wedlock births and street gangs, crime, and violence proliferated in coming decades.  

Overall federal spending on programs for the poor escalated as eligibility rules for [[welfare]] and [[Social Security]] were loosened, the size of benefits was increased, and unemployment insurance was made more available to more people, and for longer periods of time. The number of people receiving [[public assistance]] more than doubled from 1960 to 1977. The dollar value of public [[housing]] rose nearly five-fold in a decade and the amount spent on [[food stamps]] rose more than ten-fold. All government-provided in-kind benefits increased about eight-fold from 1965 to 1969 and more than twenty-fold by 1974. Federal spending on such social welfare programs not only rose in dollar terms and in real terms, but also as a percentage of the nation's gross national product, going from 8 percent of GNP in 1960 to 16 percent by 1974.

Overall federal spending on programs for the poor escalated as eligibility rules for [[welfare]] and [[Social Security]] were loosened, the size of benefits was increased, and unemployment insurance was made more available to more people, and for longer periods of time. The number of people receiving [[public assistance]] more than doubled from 1960 to 1977. The dollar value of public [[housing]] rose nearly five-fold in a decade and the amount spent on [[food stamps]] rose more than ten-fold. All government-provided in-kind benefits increased about eight-fold from 1965 to 1969 and more than twenty-fold by 1974. Federal spending on such social welfare programs not only rose in dollar terms and in real terms, but also as a percentage of the nation's gross national product, going from 8 percent of GNP in 1960 to 16 percent by 1974.  A classic example of income transfer or "redistribution of wealth".

As for urban ghetto [[riot]]s, they raged across the country during this era. [[Newark]] Mayor Hugh J. Addonizio (D) called for a federal investigation of the city's anti-poverty agency which received Great Society funding to determine if it had, in any way, contributed to the city's riots in which 26 persons were killed.<ref>https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal67-1313423</ref> More funding was approved anyway. Later, the strife declined sharply after the beginning of the Nixon administration, which opposed the whole ‘war on poverty’ approach and eventually abolished the Office of Economic Opportunity, which had been the spearhead of this program. Still later, during the eight years of the Reagan presidency–supposedly the nadir of neglect–major urban riots became virtually extinct.

As for urban ghetto [[riot]]s, they raged across the country during this era. [[Newark]] Mayor Hugh J. Addonizio (D) called for a federal investigation of the city's anti-poverty agency which received Great Society funding to determine if it had, in any way, contributed to the city's riots in which 26 persons were killed.<ref>https://library.cqpress.com/cqalmanac/document.php?id=cqal67-1313423</ref> More funding was approved anyway. Later, the strife declined sharply after the beginning of the Nixon administration, which opposed the whole ‘war on poverty’ approach and eventually abolished the Office of Economic Opportunity, which had been the spearhead of this program. Still later, during the eight years of the Reagan presidency–supposedly the nadir of neglect–major urban riots became virtually extinct.

Eventually, however, even official poverty began to rise, so that a larger number of people were in poverty in 1992 than were in poverty in 1964, when the "war on poverty" began.<ref>n21 U.S. Bureau of Census, Current Population Records, Series P60-185 (Washington, D.C. General Printing Office 1993) p.ix. (p. 13-14)</ref> By 1992, more than half of all [[black]] adults had never been married, quite aside from an additional 16 percent who had been either [[divorce]]d or [[widow]]ed. By contrast, only 21 percent of [[white]] adults had never been married. More than half of all black children–57 percent–were living with only one parent and another 7.5 percent were not living with either parent. Thus, only a little more than a third of black children were living in traditional two-parent households. Of 190,000 black children whose parents were currently still teenagers, only 5,000 were living with both parents.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/06/25/out-of-wedlock-black-children-draw-a-community-together/7c431555-27fa-483a-acdb-0ee09ea4acbe/</ref>

Eventually, however, even official poverty began to rise, so that a larger number of people were in poverty in 1992 than were in poverty in 1964, when the "war on poverty" began.<ref>n21 U.S. Bureau of Census, Current Population Records, Series P60-185 (Washington, D.C. General Printing Office 1993) p.ix. (p. 13-14)</ref> By 1992, more than half of all [[black]] adults had never been married, quite aside from an additional 16 percent who had been either [[divorce]]d or [[widow]]ed. By contrast, only 21 percent of [[white]] adults had never been married. More than half of all black children–57 percent–were living with only one parent and another 7.5 percent were not living with either parent. Thus, only a little more than a third of black children were living in traditional two-parent households. Of 190,000 black children whose parents were currently still teenagers, only 5,000 were living with both parents.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1978/06/25/out-of-wedlock-black-children-draw-a-community-together/7c431555-27fa-483a-acdb-0ee09ea4acbe/</ref> As street gangs and crime proliferated, Democrats responded with mass incarceration of Blacks.

====Civil disturbances====

====Civil disturbances====