ABSTRACT
The call for “welfare reform” is as close to being a mantra in policy and political discourse as any term coined this century. Although its meaning is variable and unclear, like much political language, its currency has ranged from the mouths of disgruntled citizens to the campaign rhetoric and speeches of institutional elites like presidents. In bemoaning the failure of America’s traditional welfare programs, Presidents Ronald Reagan and William Clinton coined two of the most evocative phrases in the welfare reform lexicon. Reagan’s “welfare queen” metaphor and Clinton’s “end welfare as we know it” pledge captured and reflected public sentiment. These words depict the gradual erosion of political and public support for traditional welfare programs. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (P.L. 104-193) is the manifestation of this disillusionment.
