Race and Welfare: The Unspoken Variable

Abstract

In order to analyze racial discrimination in the distribution of government welfare benefits, one must establish whether or not such problems exists, whether and how they may be documented, whether the problem is isolated to rogue actors or representative of a policy trends and what causes the problems that may be found. In analyzing the effects of race on the distribution of public assistance, my focus is on the inadequacy of current welfare anti-discrimination policies. I will attempt to discern from the available data, clear and consistent patterns of discriminatory abuse, as distinguished from subjective criticism of patterns of distribution. Further, I will suggest ways in which states and the Federal government can promote more equitable distributions of welfare benefits and services to all races. [From The Effects of Race in the Distribution of Federal Public Assistance]