Reducing Poverty by Reducing Children

In the first of what will be a three-part series of articles, Daniel Patrick Moloney at Public Discourse examines the thinking common to both major political parties: that an important way to reduce poverty is to reduce the number of poor children. This viewpoint was most recently articulated by the Speaker of the House when she proposed that promoting contraception among the poor should be part of the economic stimulus package, but is unique neither to her nor to the Democratic party. In his article, Moloney discusses Pelosi’s remarks, the backlash they provoked, and how the common viewpoint they show plays out in Medicaid policy—with more on that subject to come in subsequent articles. Read part 1 of the series here and keep your eyes peeled for the rest.