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12. The New Safety Net: How the Tax Code Helped Low-Income Working Families During the Early 2000s
- Author:
- Alan Berube
- Publication Date:
- 02-2006
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The early years of the twenty- first century marked a period of change in both the labor market and in public policy for the nation's low-income working families. Most prominently, employment conditions deteriorated after 2000. The nation's unemployment rate climbed from 4 percent in 2000 to 6 percent in 2003. The unemployment rate for workers with less than a high school education rose to nearly 9 percent in 2003. Real hourly wages continued to increase slightly for most workers during this period, but the weak labor market reduced the number of hours worked, along with overall earnings and family incomes. The steady rise in labor force participation among low-income families during the 1990s, spurred in part by the 1996 welfare reform law and other policies to “make work pay,” gave way to a decline after 2000.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Government, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- New York
13. Leaders Among Us: Developing a Community Health Worker Program in Washington, D.C.
- Author:
- Martha Ross and Kathy Patrick
- Publication Date:
- 10-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Low-income residents of Washington, DC are in poorer health and have less access to regular medical care than more affluent residents. A citywide community health worker program could increase primary care visits among low-income residents, improve their health and reduce potentially avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Community health workers (CHWs) are well-trained community members whose backgrounds are similar to those they serve, and who provide health education, links to health services, and support in managing health conditions. CHWs serve communities with cultural, linguistic, or economic barriers to health care services. A growing body of research suggests that CHW programs improve access to primary and preventive care, reduce emergency department overcrowding, and are cost-effective.
- Topic:
- Economics, Health, Human Welfare, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Washington
14. Health Status and Access to Care Among Low-Income Washington, D.C. Residents
- Author:
- Martha Ross and Nicole Lurie
- Publication Date:
- 10-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Low-income residents of Washington, DC have poorer health outcomes and less access to primary care than more affluent residents of the city. Residents in low-income areas of the city are less likely to have insurance and a regular doctor, are more likely to have chronic health problems, and are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions that should not result in hospitalization if treated early and effectively in a primary care setting.
- Topic:
- Economics, Health, Human Welfare, and Poverty
- Political Geography:
- Washington
15. Katrina Index: October Findings
- Author:
- Amy Liu, Matt Fellowes, and Mia Mabanta
- Publication Date:
- 10-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- In the last month, Louisiana's voters participated in a dramatic election, which resulted in the retention of many incumbent members of Congress from southern Louisiana and the transfer of power to Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate. The buzz now is whether a Democratically-controlled Congress will serve as a better ally to the people of New Orleans and southern Louisiana in addressing the continued short- and long-term recovery needs of the region.
- Topic:
- Development, Disaster Relief, Environment, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States and Louisiana
16. Reducing Unwed Childbearing: The Missing Link in Efforts to Promote Marriage
- Author:
- Daniel T. Lichter and Andrea Kane
- Publication Date:
- 04-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Most social scientists acknowledge that, on balance, single parents, stepparents, or cohabiting couples are no substitute for childrearing by two married parents. Yet, new data from the federal government show that a record number of babies—nearly 1.5 million—were born to unmarried women in the United States in 2004. Empirical evidence of this sort has leveraged political support for the Bush administration's “Healthy Marriage Initiative.” Congress recently approved major funding for this initiative as part of welfare reform reauthorization. Approximately $100 million per year will be available for research, demonstration, and technical assistance projects to promote healthy marriage through such activities as public advertising campaigns, relationship and marriage education in high schools, and relationship and marriage skills for both unmarried and married couples. In addition, about $50 million per year will be available to promote responsible fatherhood.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Economics, Government, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States
17. Autism and Hope
- Publication Date:
- 01-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Autism spectrum disorders have become among the most common and severe developmental disabilities facing children—and thus future generations of adults—in the United States today. More than in 200 young children may now be affected by a neurological condition on the spectrum (which includes autism, pervasive development disorder, and Asperger's syndrome or disorder). This fact has become increasingly well reported in recent months.
- Topic:
- Development, Economics, Health, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States
18. Who Lives Downtown
- Author:
- Eugenie L. Birch
- Publication Date:
- 11-2005
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- Over the past few decades, public and private officials have tried to re-invent their downtowns with a variety of tactics. One of the most popular—and arguably most successful—strategies of recent years has been downtown residential development. In this effort, creating a vibrant, “24-hour” downtown has become the mantra for injecting life into struggling main streets and business districts.
- Topic:
- Civil Society, Demographics, Economics, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- New York, Asia, Los Angeles, and Chicago
19. The Millennium Challenge Account: Moving Toward Smarter Aid
- Author:
- Lex Rieffel and James W. Fox
- Publication Date:
- 07-2005
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) proposed by President George W. Bush in March 2002 is an important step toward smarter US assistance to low-income countries. While it cannot yet be said to represent a revolution in development assistance, it is a welcome experiment and merits substantial funding by the Congress.
- Topic:
- International Relations, Development, Economics, and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- United States
20. U.S. Foreign Assistance to Africa: Claims vs. Reality
- Author:
- Susan E. Rice
- Publication Date:
- 06-2005
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- The Brookings Institution
- Abstract:
- The Bush Administration has significantly increased aid to Africa, but that increase falls far short of what the President has claimed. U.S. aid to Africa from FY 2000 (the last full budget year of the Clinton Administration) to FY2004 (the last completed fiscal year of the Bush Administration) has not "tripled" or even doubled. Rather, in real dollars, it has increased 56% (or 67% in nominal dollar terms). The majority of that increase consists of emergency food aid, rather than assistance for sustainable development of the sort Africa needs to achieve lasting poverty reduction.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Human Welfare
- Political Geography:
- Africa and United States