ABSTRACT
Conflicting tendencies have powerfully shaped the development of U.S. social policy. On the one hand, there is an acceptance of a collective obligation to assist those in need, and an enthusiasm for the development of policies that enhance opportunities ( Jansson, 2009). On the other hand, there is a barely concealed antipathy toward certain categories of the needy, most specifically those who are perceived as being the “unworthy” poor ( Jansson, 2009; Segal, 2010). These include the able-bodied and voluntary jobless, people with substance abuse issues, unmarried single mothers, and the formerly incarcerated, particularly if for drug offenses. It also includes particular subordinated racial, ethnic, and social groups. Informed by religious doctrine, various ideological movements, and societal values, this antipathy is reflected in social policy, which among other things makes various negative assumptions about its beneficiaries and the causes of the problems they experience (Martin, 2010). Perennially, these assumptions characterize the unworthy poor as morally bereft, shiftless, irresponsible, and lazy.
