Issues

Economic Opportunity Research

Unequal and Unstable: The Relationship Between Inequality and Financial Crises
Anant A. Thaker and Elizabeth C. Williamson, New America Foundation, January 2012

Public Opinion On Food Stamps And Hunger in America
Food Research and Action Center and Hart Research Associates, January 2012

Changes in the Distribution of Income Among Tax Filers Between 1996 and 2006: The Role of Labor Income, Capital Income, and Tax Policy
Thomas L. Hungerford, Congressional Research Service, December 2011

Progress 2050: New Ideas for a Diverse America
Vanessa Cárdenas, Julie Ajinkya and Daniella Gibbs Léger, Progress 2050 and Center for American Progress, December 2011

Opportunity Index
American Human Development Project and Opportunity Nation, November 2011

Growth in the Residential Segregation of Families by Income, 1970-2000
Sean F. Reardon and Kendra Bischoff, US2010 and Stanford University, November 2011

A Deeper Look at Income Inequality
Office of Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee, November 2011

The State of Young America: Economic Barriers to the American Dream
Dēmos and Young Invincibles, November 2011

Unburdening America’s Middle Class
Christian E. Weller, Center for American Progress, November 2011

The Re-Emergence of Concentrated Poverty: Metropolitan Trends in the 2000s
Elizabeth Kneebone, Carey Nadeau and Alan Berube, The Brookings Institution, November 2011

Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007
Congressional Budget Office, October 2011

Restoring Shared Prosperity: Strategies to Cute Poverty and Expand Economic Growth
Half in Ten, October 2011

Creating Pathways to Opportunity
The White House, October 2011

Retirement on the Edge: Women, Men, and Economic Insecurity After the Great Recession
Cynthia Hess, Jeff Hayes and Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy Research,
October 2011


Women and Men Living on the Edge: Economic Insecurity After the Great Recession
Jeff Hayes and Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy Research, October 2011

No Place for Kids: The Case for Reducing Juvenile Incarceration
Richard A. Mendel, Annie E. Casey Foundation, October 2011

Reducing Poverty and Increasing Marriage Rates among Latinos and African Americans
Algernon Austin, Economic Policy Institute, September 2011

State Tax Codes as Poverty Fighting Tools
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, September 2011

Downward Mobility from the Middle Class: Waking Up From the American Dream
Gregory Acs, Economic Mobility Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts, September 2011

Unemployment in the Great Recession: Single Parents and Men Hit Hard
Carsey Institute, August 2011

Transit Access and Zero-Vehicle Households
Adie Tomer, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution, August 2011

Rental Market Stresses: Impacts of the Great Recession on Affordability and Multifamily Lending
Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, What Works Collaborative, August 2011

Enterprise Programs: Freeing Entrepreneurs to Provide Essential Services for the Poor
National Center for Policy Analysis, August 2011

Pathways Magazine--Leaders of the War on Poverty: Learning from State and Local Innovation
The Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, Summer 2011

Poverty and Opportunity: What Difference Can a Task Force Make?
Jodie Levin-Epstein, Milla Sanes, Emily Feldman, Josh Kotzman, Abby Lane and Lauren Stewart, Center on Law & Social Policy, July 2011

Twenty-to-One: Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics
Rakesh Kochhar, Richard Fry and Paul Taylor, Pew Research Center, July 2011

Building a Stronger Regional Safety Net: Philanthropy’s Role
Sarah Reckhow and Margaret Weir, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution,
July 2011

Ten Facts About the Recovery
Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute, July 2011

Discrediting America: The Urgent Need to Reform the Nation’s Credit Reporting Industry
Amy Traub and Shawn Fremsted, Dēmos, June 2011

From Income to Consumption: Understanding the Transmission of Inequality
Richard Blundell, Focus, Volume 28:1, Spring/Summer 2011

Supporting Fathers
Seedco, June 2011

Out of Reach 2011
Elina Bravve, Megan DeCrappeo, Danilo Pelletiere and Sheila Crowley, National Low Income Housing Coalition, June 2011

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2011
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, June 2011

Misconceptions and Realities about Who Pays Taxes
Chuck Marr and Brian Highsmith, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, May 2011

The American Middle Class Under Stress
Sherle R. Schwenninger and Samuel Sherraden, New America Foundation, April 2011

America’s Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities
Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, April 2011

Second Chance Homes: A Resource for Teen Mothers
Kristine M. Andrews and Kristin A. Moore, Child Trends, April 2011

The Class of 2011: Young Workers Face a Dire Labor Market Without a Safety Net
Heidi Shierholz and Kathryn Anne Edwards, Economic Policy Institute, April 2011

Welfare Reform in the U.S.: A Policy Overview Analysis
Megan C. Martin and Koen Caminada, Poverty & Public Policy Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, 2011

Reforming Tax Expenditures Can Reduce Deficits While Making the Tax Code More Efficient and Equitable
Chuck Marr and Brian Highsmith, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 2011

Promoting Defiant Apples: Exploring the Potential of an Economic Mobility Policy Agenda
Ray Boshara, New American Foundation, April 2011

Helping People and Places Move Out of Poverty: Progress and Learning 2010
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, March 2011

Should the Disadvantaged Be Spared from the Budget Axe?
Stuart M. Butler, Center for Policy Innovation, The Heritage Foundation,
March 2011

The ITEP Guide to Fair State and Local Taxes
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, March 2011

Two Years Later: Impacts of Select ARRA Programs for Low-Income Workers and Families
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), February 2011

A Better Budget For All: Saving our Economy and Helping Those in Need
Coalition on Human Needs, February 2011

Social Impact Bonds: A Promising New Financing Model to Accelerate Social Innovation and Improve Government Performance
Jeffrey B. Liebman, Center for American Progress, February 2011

Pathways Magazine, Winter 2011
Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, February 2011

Declining Fortunes of Children in Middle Class Families: Economic Inequality and Child Well-Being in the 21st Century
Donald J. Hernandez, Foundation for Child Development, January 2011

Building Economic Security in America’s Cities: New Municipal Strategies for Asset Building and Financial Empowerment
Corporation for Enterprise Development, January 2011

Arkansas Legislative Taskforce on Reducing Poverty and Promoting Economic Opportunity: Final Report 2010
Arkansas Legislative Taskforce on Reducing Poverty and Promoting Economic Opportunity, November 2010

Pathways Magazine, Summer 2010
Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, August 2010

Fulfilling the Promise: Expanding Voter Registration of Low-Income Citizens Under the National Voter Registration Act
Scott Novakowski, Demos, July 2010

TANF Tested: Lives of Families in Poverty during the Recession
Sarah Carey, NETWORK, July 2010

Reducing Poverty and Economic Distress after ARRA: Next Steps for Short-Term Recovery and Long-Term Economic Security
Peter Edelman, Olivia Golden, Harry Holzer, The Urban Institute and Georgetown University, July 2010

Tuning In to Local Labor Markets: Findings from the Sectoral Employment Impact Study
Sheila Maguire, Joshua Freely, Carol Clymer, Maureen Conway and Deena Schwartz, Public/Private Ventures, July 2010

Young Disadvantaged Men: Fathers, Families, Poverty, and Policy. An Introduction to the Issues
Timothy M. Smeeding, Irwin Garfinkel and Ronald B. Mincy, Institute for Research on Poverty, June 2010

Income Gaps Between Very Rich and Everyone Else More Than Tripled In Last Three Decades, New Data Show
Arloc Sherman and Chad Stone, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, June 2010

Job Sprawl in Metro New Orleans: Based on 2008 Local Employment Dynamics Data from the U.S. Census
Allison Plyer, Greater New Orleans Community Data Center
and Richard Campanella,
Tulane University
June 2010

Ending Family Homelessness in Massachusetts: A New Approach for the Emergency Assistance (EA) Program (pdf)
Dennis P. Culhane and Thomas Byrne, The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, May 2010

The State of Metropolitan America
The Brookings Institution, May 2010

Poverty, Class and the Recession
Claudia Rowe, Equal Voice, April 2010

A Century Apart: New Measures of Well-being for U.S. Racial and Ethnic Groups
Kristen Lewis and Sarah Burd-Sharps, American Human Development Project, April 2010

Extending the TANF Emergency Fund Would Create and Preserve Jobs Quickly and Efficiently
Liz Schott and LaDonna Pavetti, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 2010

The Obama Effect: A New Future for Inequality? (pdf)
Pathways Magazine, Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality, April 2010

America Insecure: Changes in the Economic Security of American Families
Gregory Acs and Austin Nichols, The Urban Institute, March 2010

Poverty on the Rise in the District: The Impact of Unemployment in 2009 and 2010
DC Fiscal Policy Institute, March 2010

A Profile of the Working Poor, 2008
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, March 2010

A New Era of Partnerships: Report of Recommendations to the President
President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, March 2010

The Effects of Citizenship on Family Income and Poverty
Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute, February 2010

L.A. County 10 Years Later, A Tale of Two Cities, One Future (pdf)
United Way of Greater Los Angeles, February 2010

Unemployment and Family Homelessness: The Nation's Crisis, New York City's Experience (pdf)
The Institute for Children and Poverty, February 2010

The State of Opportunity, 2009
The Opportunity Agenda, January 2010

The State of Minorities in the Economy
Luke Reidenbach and Christian E. Weller, Center for American Progress, January 2010

Low Income and Impoverished Families Pay More Disproportionately for Child Care
Kristin Smith and Kristi Gozjolko, The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, January 2010

Families of the Recession: Unemployed Parents & Their Children
Phillip Lovell and Julia B. Isaacs, First Focus Campaign for Children, January 2010

The Effects of the Recession on Child Poverty
Julia B. Isaacs, Brookings Institution, January 2010

The "Great Recession" and Redistribution: Federal Antipoverty Policies (pdf)
Gary Burtless, Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, December 2009

State-Level Data Show Recovery Act Protecting Millions From Poverty
Arloc Sherman, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, December 2009

Keeping a First Line of Defense for the Jobless
Heather Boushey, Maurice Emsellem, Christine Riordan, Andrew Stettner, Center for American Progress Action Fund and National Employment Law Center, December 2009

American Jobs Plan
Economic Policy Institute, November 2009

Building a Foundation for Family Economic Success (pdf)
John Quinterno, The Working Poor Families Project, November 2009

Sick in the City: What the Lack of Paid Leave Means for Working New Yorkers (pdf)
Jeremy Reiss and Nancy Rankin The Community Service Society of New York, October 2009

State Child Care Assistance Policies 2009
Karen Schulman and Helen Blank, National Women's Law Center, September 2009

Increasing Low-Income Access to Opportunity (pdf)
Jodie Levin-Epstein, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, September 2009

Federal/Philanthropic Partnership Opportunities (pdf)
Shelley Waters Boots, Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Open Society Institute, August 2009

Fractures in the Foundation: The Latino Worker's Experience in an Era of Declining Job Quality
Catherine Singley, National Council of La Raza, August 2009

Hitting Bottom? An Updated Analysis of Rents and the Price of Housing in 100 Metropolitan Areas (pdf)
Danilo Pelletiere, Hye Jin Rho and Dean Baker, Center for Economic Policy Research and National Low-Income Housing Coalition, August 2009

The Effects of the Economic Recession on Communities of Color
Julia Berndt and Cara James, Kaiser Family Foundation, July 2009

Neighborhoods and the Black-White Mobility Gap (pdf)
Patrick Sharkey, Economic Mobility Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts, July 2009

Unemployment in Low-Income Communities
"Community Investments," Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Spring 2009

Ebbing Tides in the Golden State: Impacts of the 2008 Recession on California and Los Angeles County
Daniel Flaming, Michael Matsunaga and Patrick Burns, Economic Roundtable, June 2009

Contagion Nation: A Comparison of Paid Sick Day Policies in 22 Countries (pdf)
Jody Heymann, Hye Jin Rho, John Schmitt and Alison Earle, Center for Economic and Policy Research, May 2009

Transforming America's Community Colleges: A Federal Policy Proposal to Expand Opportunity and Promote Economic Prosperity (pdf)
Sara Goldrick-Rab, Douglas N. Harris, Christopher Mazzeo and Gregory Kienzl, Brookings Institution, May 2009

Essential Legal Services: Funding the Legal Services Corporation
Joy Moses, Center for American Progress, May 2009

What to Look For in HUD’s 2010 Budget For Low-Income Housing
Douglas Rice, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, May 2009

19 Million Working-Age Americans Have a Disability that Limits or Prevents Work -- Most Are Poor or Low-Income
Ellen O'Brien and Carlos Figueiredo, AARP, Public Policy Institute, April 2009

Changing Poverty and Changing Antipoverty Policies
Maria Cancian and Sheldon Danziger, Institute for Research on Poverty, April 2009

Weathering the Storm: Black Men in the Recession
Alexandra Cawthorne, Center for American Progress, April 2009

Children in Poverty: Trends, Consequences and Policy Options (pdf)
Kristin Anderson Moore, Zakia Redd, Mary Burkhauser, Kassim Mbwana, and Ashleigh Collins, Child Trends, April 2009

An Engine of Opportunity: A User’s Guide to Advocate for Transportation Equity in the 2009 Recovery Act (pdf)
PolicyLink and Transportation Equity Network, April 2009

Asset Building in Low-income Communities of Color, Part 1
Wilhelmina A. Leigh, Lauren M. Ross, Anna L. Wheatley and Danielle Huff, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, March 2009

President Obama and Antipoverty Policy: What Does the Stimulus Bill Do to Fight Poverty, Educate Citizens, and Improve Public Health? (pdf)
Timothy Smeeding, Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison, March 2009

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Refund Anticipation Loans
Children's Defense Fund, March 2009

Budgeting for Basic Needs: A Struggle for Working Families
Kinsey Alden Dinan, National Center for Children in Poverty, March 2009

Feeding Our Future: Growing Up Healthy with WIC
Karen Jeng, Elizabeth L. March, John T. Cook and Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, Children's HealthWatch, March 2009

Fueling Fair Practices: A Road Map to Improved Public Policy for Used Car Sales and Financing (pdf)
John W. Van Alst, National Consumer Law Center, March 2009

Decade of Neglect Has Weakened Federal Low-Income Housing Programs
Douglas Rice and Barbara Sard, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 2009

Check the Color Line: 2009 Income Report (pdf)
Dominique Apollon and Noel Bravo, Applied Research Center and the Center for the Study of Social Policy, February 2009

Biggest Bang for the Buck: Researchers Weigh Stimulus Proposals
Urban Institute, February 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: State-by-State Estimates of Key Provisions AffectingLow- and Moderate-Income Individuals
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 2009

Basic Needs Assistance for the Poor Advances Economic Recovery and Employment Goals
Joy Moses, Center for American Progress, February 2009

Meeting the Needs of Low-Income Families in the Economic Recovery
Alexandra Cawthorne, Center for American Progress, February 2009

Reduce Poverty and Promote Opportunity (pdf)
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, January 2009

Strategies to Build Economic Security and Reduce Poverty: A Tool Kit for States
Annette Case, January 2009

Senior Unemployment Rate Hits 31-Year High
Richard W. Johnson, Urban Institute, January 2009

The Stimulus Package Should Help Workers Get Retrained
Gary Burtless, Brookings Institution, January 2009

Rental Assistance Asset Accounts
Reid Cramer and Jeffrey Lubell, New America Foundation, January 2009

Number of Homeless Families Climbing Due to Recession
Barbara Sard, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 2009

The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Older Americans
Sandy Mackenzie, AARP Public Policy Institute, AARP Foundation, December 2008

The Economic Security of American Workers: Trends in the Labor Market, Savings Behavior, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States (pdf)
Jody Schimmel, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., December 2008

Reaching for the Prize: The Limits on Economic Mobility
Julia B. Isaacs and Isabel V. Sawhill, “The Milken Institute Review,” Brookings Institution, Winter 2008

Recession Could Cause Large Increases in Poverty and Push Millions into Deep Poverty
Sharon Parrott, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, November 2008

Helping the Jobless Helps Us All: The Central Role of Unemployment Insurance in America's Economic Recovery
Maurice Emsellem, Andrew Stettner, Lisa Donner and Alexandra Cawthorne, Center for American Progress, November 2008

The Enduring Challenge of Concentrated Poverty in America: Case Studies from Communities Across the U.S.
Community Affairs Offices of the Federal Reserve System and the Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program, October 2008

Barriers to Employment Among TANF Applicants and Their Consequences for Self-Sufficiency(PDF)
Mark E. Courtney and Amy Dworsky, West Coast Poverty Center, University of Washington,October 2008

The Next Stage for SocialPolicy: Encouraging Work, Family Formation Among Low-Income Men
Adam Carasso, Harry Holzer, Elaine Maag, C. Eugene Steuerle,Tax Policy Center, October 2008

Still Working Hard, Still FallingShort
Brandon Roberts and Deborah Povich, The Working Poor Families Project, October 2008

TheTransformation in Who is Expected to Work in the United States and Howit Changed the Lives of Single Mothers and People with Disabilities
Richard Burkhauser, Mary C.Daly, Joyce Kwok and Jeff Larrimore,American Enterprise Institute, October 2008

A Platform for Progress: Building a Better Future for Women and Their Families –Building Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center, August 2008

Reversal of Fortune: A New Look at Concentrated Poverty in the 2000s
Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube,Brookings Institution, August 2008

Staying Afloat in Tough Times: What States Are and Aren’t Doing to Promote Family Economic Security
Sarah Fass, Jodie Briggs and Nancy K. Cauthen,National Center for Children in Poverty, August 2008

Survey of Low-Wage Workers
The Washington Post, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University, August 2008

State Strategies to Reduce Child and Family Poverty
Susan Golonka and Linda Hoffman,National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices, June 2008

Upward Intergenerational Economic Mobility in the United States
Bhashkar Mazumder,Economic Mobility Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts, May 2008

Unions and Upward Mobility for African-American Workers
John Schmitt, Center for Economic and Policy Research, March 2008

Getting Ahead or Losing Ground: Economic Mobility in America
Julia B. Isaacs, Isabel V. Sawhill, and Ron Haskins, Brookings Institution and Economic Mobility Project, The Pew Charitable Trusts, February 2008

Action Tool Kit for Municipal Leaders: Helping Families Achieve Financial Security (pdf)
Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, National League of Cities, January 2009

A Hand Up: A Strategy to Reward Work, Expand Opportunity, and Reduce Poverty
Jason E. Bordoff, Jason Furman, and Paige L. Shevlin,Brookings Institution, December 2007

Bridging the Gaps: A Picture of How Work Supports Work in Ten States [PDF]
RandyAlbelda, the Center for Social Policy at The University ofMassachusetts, Boston. Heather Bushey, the Center for Economic andPolicy Research, October 2007

Rewarding the Work of Individuals A Counterintuitive Approach to Reducing Poverty and Strengthening Families
Gordon L. Berlin, MDRC, September 2007

From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half
Poverty Task Force, Center for American Progress, April 2007

Repairing the Economic Ladder: A Transformative Investment Strategy to Reduce Poverty and Expand America's Middle Class [PDF]
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayors Task Force on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity, January 2007

From Poverty, Opportunity: Putting the Market to Work for Lower Income Families
Matt Fellowes, Brookings Institution, July 2006

Child Poverty and Welfare Reform: Stay the Course
June E. O’Neill and Sanders Korenman, Manhattan Institute, December 2004

Declining Employment among Young Black Less-Educated Men: The Role of Incarceration and Child Support
Harry Holzer, Paul Offner, Elaine Sorensen, Urban Institute, April 2004

Welfare Reform That Works: Explaining the Welfare Caseload Decline, 1996-2000 [PDF]
Michael New, Cato Institute, May 2002

Four Years of Welfare Reform: A Progress Report [PDF]
Lisa Oliphant,
Cato Institute, August 2000