In a recent New York Times front page article, Binyamin Appelbaum profiled Americans who criticize government safety net programs even though they are increasingly dependent on them. These government programs were created to keep the poorest Americans out of abject poverty, but it is no longer the poorest households that are receiving most of the benefits. Appelbaum found that more and more, lower middle class families need government assistance, and many of them are resentful that they need help and that the government provides that help. The Times focused on the residents of Chisago County Minnesota to illustrate the national issue.
Click here to read Appelbaum’s article, watch videos and to access interactive maps.