The War on Poverty: Experiment in Federalism

Abstract

The war on poverty has been fought on the battleground of American federalism. Because they are designed to reorient social institutions by encouraging political activity on the part of disadvantaged citizens, the antipoverty programs will be judged as much on their political as on their economic impact. Yet, for this reason, these programs have raised "ugly problems of the political establishment." The states, though largely ignored by the enabling legislation, have played a subordinate though significant role. Local political institutions have been challenged, because antipoverty programs have made great use of private nonprofit agencies, and because they have worked to foster maximum feasible participation of the disadvantaged. The history of the first five years of the programs illuminates the basic dilemma of "creative federalism": How much localized control is feasible or desirable in federally financed enterprises?