Devolution
Welfare Reform Reauthorization
Devolution is a transfer of decisionmaking authority from a higher level of government to a lower level of government. A decade ago, the welfare system underwent extensive devolution as a result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, which ended a six-decade-old federal program -- Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) -- and started a new time-limited welfare program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The 1996 law led to many far-reaching changes in welfare rules and administration, and was a major factor in an unprecedented decline in the welfare rolls in subsequent years. This was accompanied by sharp declines in food stamp use and Medicaid coverage, and restrictions on access to education and training for poor women. Further, many policy analysts worried about families who in future years would "hit" time limits and exhaust their welfare safety nets. These policy issues sparked controversy and calls for reforming the reform.
During the processes leading up to reauthorization of the law, the Joint Center was active in informing public discussion of public policy on welfare and poverty, while encouraging Congress to re-examine welfare reform. The Joint Center continues to monitor the federal and state programs that provide aid to needy families, and to encourage further research and discussion on how programs can be changed to be more effective in lifting families out of poverty.