Boosting Paychecks: The Politics of Supporting America’s Working Poor

When most people think of policies designed to help the poor, welfare is the first program that comes to mind. Traditionally welfare has served individuals who do not work-hence much of the stigma that some attach to the program. Gitterman focuses on two sets of policy instruments that have been used to aid the working poor since the early twentieth century: the federal tax code and the minimum wage.