This image is the cover for the book America's Poor and the Great Recession

America's Poor and the Great Recession

“A thorough and enlightening survey of the impact and legacy of the Great Recession on low-income Americans . . . accessible and readable.” —Journal of American Studies

Millions entered poverty as a result of the Great Recession’s terrible toll of long-term unemployment. In this book, Kristin S. Seefeldt and John D. Graham examine recent trends in poverty and assess the performance of America’s safety-net programs.

They consider likely scenarios for future developments and conclude that the well-being of low-income Americans, particularly the working poor, the near poor, and the new poor, is at substantial risk despite economic recovery.

“[This] primer on the state of America’s poor in the wake of the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 cuts through Beltway theater and provides a clear picture of the magnitude of poverty of the United States as well as the patchwork nature of social services targeting the poor.” —Journal of Policy Analysis and Management

Kristin S. Seefeldt, John D. Graham, Tavis Smiley

Kristin S. Seefeldt is Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan and author of Working after Welfare: How Women Balance Jobs and Family in the Wake of Welfare Reform and Welfare Reform.

John D. Graham is Dean of the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs and author of Bush on the Home Front: Domestic Policy Triumphs and Setbacks (IUP, 2010). From 2001 to 2006 he served as Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, White House Office of Management and Budget.

Indiana University Press