--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think Welfare Reform did more harm than…" description: "\"I think Welfare Reform did more harm than good, but one piece of good it did was it changed the attitudes of Americans. If we look at voter surveys eve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/david-beckmann-62831_attitude_i-think-welfare-reform-did-more-harm-tha_2709635.jpg" --- # I think Welfare Reform did more harm than good, but one… ![“I think Welfare Reform did more harm than good, but one piece of good it did was it changed the attitudes of Americans. If we look at voter surveys even before the recession, the idea that people are poor because they're lazy was much stronger in the early '90s than it was even before the…” quote by David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/david-beckmann-62831_attitude_i-think-welfare-reform-did-more-harm-tha_2709635.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/david-beckmann-62831_attitude_i-think-welfare-reform-did-more-harm-tha_2709635.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f59/david-beckmann-62831_attitude_i-think-welfare-reform-did-more-harm-tha_2709635.jpg) > “I think Welfare Reform did more harm than good, but one piece of good it did was it changed the attitudes of Americans. If we look at voter surveys even before the recession, the idea that people are poor because they're lazy was much stronger in the early '90s than it was even before the recession. Now with the recession, everybody knows somebody who is poor through no fault of their own. So voter attitudes are more favorable than they've been since the '60s.” [David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Notes that welfare reform shifted public perception of poverty from personal failure to systemic issues. **In simple terms:** Reform changed attitudes about poverty. Key Takeaway Recognize systemic causes. Themes social policy public opinion poverty perception Mood analytical concerned Type informative critical When to use this quote - policy debates - public surveys - media analysis Key Concepts welfare reform economic inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can policy address systemic poverty? - What attitudes still hinder progress? A Different Perspective Changing attitudes doesn’t automatically improve conditions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Attitudes Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitudes-americans-2798711/) [Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) [Lazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lazy/) [One piece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-piece/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Stronger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stronger/) [Think Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-welfare-558169/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Voter Attitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voter-attitudes-2798710/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) [Welfare reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare-reform/) ## Related quotes > [Some people think that welfare reform should have hurt Bill Clinton with black voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/some-people-think-that-welfare-reform-should-have-hurt-bill-clinton/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Maybe we should be directing our anger elsewhere - like toward Wall Street. Why is it we never think of Big Business when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/maybe-we-should-be-directing-our-anger-elsewhere-like-toward-wall/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Regional interest rate differentials persisted until around the time of World War I and helped shape the attitudes of Americans living in western areas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-powell/regional-interest-rate-differentials-persisted-until-around-the-time/) [Jerome Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-powell/) > [Conservatives were sure that if you eliminated welfare for single moms, it would eliminate - or at lease greatly reduce - single motherhood. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/conservatives-were-sure-that-if-you-eliminated-welfare-for-single/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Welfare reform happened with reconciliation; half the Democrats voted for it. The Bush tax cuts happened with reconciliation; twelve Democratic Senators voted for it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coburn/welfare-reform-happened-with-reconciliation-half-the-democrats-voted/) [Tom Coburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coburn/) > [Not only are the philosophies of animal rights and animal welfare separated by irreconcilable differences... the enactment of animal welfare measures actually impedes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/not-only-are-the-philosophies-of-animal-rights-and-animal-welfare/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Weirdly enough, the best thing that ever happened to black people in the last twenty or thirty years was the O.J. Simpson verdict because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/weirdly-enough-the-best-thing-that-ever-happened-to-black-people-in/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [When Hillary Clinton was in the Clinton White House as first lady, the left - the right accused her of being wide eyed radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-corn/when-hillary-clinton-was-in-the-clinton-white-house-as-first-lady-the/) [David Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-corn/) > [To think the welfare and the goodness of the next generations is indeed a good ethics, but there is much greater ethics than this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/to-think-the-welfare-and-the-goodness-of-the-next-generations-is/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [It is impossible to think about the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is impossible for a bird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/it-is-impossible-to-think-about-the-welfare-of-the-world-unless-the/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As long as we place millions of Indians at the centre of our thought process, as long as we think of their welfare, their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-ambani/as-long-as-we-place-millions-of-indians-at-the-centre-of-our-thought/) [Mukesh Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-ambani/) > [Anyone who doesn't think the welfare-industrial complex is trying to increase dependency isn't paying attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howie-carr/anyone-who-doesn-t-think-the-welfare-industrial-complex-is-trying-to/) [Howie Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howie-carr/) > [And some of what we're doing in Government even now, some of the welfare reform programs that are helping lone mothers come into work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-hewitt/and-some-of-what-we-re-doing-in-government-even-now-some-of-the/) [Patricia Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-hewitt/) > [“Although white women as a group lost the most in welfare reform, they got the one bone that's always been thrown to white working-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-briggs/although-white-women-as-a-group-lost-the-most-in-welfare-reform-they/) [Laura Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-briggs/) > [The 'Welfare Reform and Work' Bill does nothing to address low wages, or underemployment, and I haven't even got started on how it undermines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-welfare-reform-and-work-bill-does-nothing-to-address-low-wages-or/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) ## More by David Beckmann > [African Americans are doing a lot already, but I think we have an opportunity right now to change politics in a way that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckmann/african-americans-are-doing-a-lot-already-but-i-think-we-have-an/) [David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) > [What's most striking is that the world as a whole has made remarkable progress against hunger, poverty and disease. I believe in God, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckmann/what-s-most-striking-is-that-the-world-as-a-whole-has-made-remarkable/) [David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) > [God is calling us to change the politics of hunger because the need is especially great right now. But the opportunities are also very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckmann/god-is-calling-us-to-change-the-politics-of-hunger-because-the-need/) [David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) > [We live in a very powerful country that has worldwide impact. It really is a democracy, so it puts a call to the faithful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckmann/we-live-in-a-very-powerful-country-that-has-worldwide-impact-it/) [David Beckmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) [Explore all 5 David Beckmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckmann/) ## More Attitude quotes > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [Vow to be valiant. Resolve to be radiant. Determine to be dynamic. Strive to be sincere. Aspire to be attuned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-arthur-ward/vow-to-be-valiant-resolve-to-be-radiant-determine-to-be-dynamic/) [William Arthur Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-arthur-ward/) > [Don't judge me because I'm stupid. Don't judge me because I'm, mean. Don't judge me because I'm weird. Don't judge me for mistakes. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-harden-me/don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-stupid-don-t-judge-me-because-i-m-mean-don/) [Isaiah Harden (Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-harden-me/) > [Your feelings (mood) dictate your thought, your thought determines your attitude (reactions) and your attitude describes your lifestyle, so: be careful how you feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheye-hassan/your-feelings-mood-dictate-your-thought-your-thought-determines-your/) [Sheye Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheye-hassan/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [One genuine reason to feel jealous of my parents:-) I will never ever have a kid as awesome as their's...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-genuine-reason-to-feel-jealous-of-my-parents-i-will-never-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [My attitude it that you don't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-taylor/my-attitude-it-that-you-don-t-give-in/) [Phil Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-taylor/) > [Transparency pertains to impartial behavior, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Inculcate transparency in attitude and experience a life free of controversy and blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/transparency-pertains-to-impartial-behavior-implies-openness/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 9,543 Attitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think Welfare Reform did more harm than good, but one piece of good it did was it changed the attitudes of Americans. 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