We assess the effectiveness of means-tested and social insurance programs in the United States. We show that per capita expenditures on these programs as a whole have grown over time but expenditures on some programs have declined. The benefit system in the U.S. has a major impact on poverty...

We assess the effectiveness of means-tested and social insurance programs in the United States. We show that per capita expenditures on these programs as a whole have grown over time but expenditures on some programs have declined. The benefit system in the U.S. has a major impact on poverty...

This paper explores the mechanisms through which maternal employment affects the quality of household nutrition and the implications for obesity of family members. Using comparable samples from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII), I...

A significant share of individuals who are first awarded Social Security benefits because of a disability is aged younger than 40. Using administrative data on young adults aged 18-39 who were first awarded benefits from 1996 through 2007, the authors produce descriptive statistics on...