After making your predictions, READ the CON side, “War on Poverty Revisited,” and complete the second row in the table below. Source: Who wrote this? What is his perspective? What do you predict the author will say after reading Johnson’s speech? What’s the author’s main argument? What are THREE pieces of evidence the author uses to support his claims? CON Great Society/ War on Poverty

Question

After making your predictions, READ the CON side, “War on Poverty Revisited,” and complete the second row in the table below. Source: Who wrote this? What is his perspective? What do you predict the author will say after reading Johnson’s speech? What’s the author’s main argument? What are THREE pieces of evidence the author uses to support his claims? CON Great Society/ War on Poverty

Answer 1

Source: James Piereson, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Perspective: Piereson is a conservative author who is critical of government welfare programs.

Predicted Response: Piereson will likely argue that Johnson's War on Poverty did not achieve its intended goals and may have even exacerbated poverty in the United States.

Main Argument: Piereson's main argument is that the War on Poverty, as implemented by Johnson's Great Society programs, did not effectively reduce poverty and may have contributed to the persistence of poverty in America.

Three Pieces of Evidence:
1. Piereson points out that, despite massive government spending on anti-poverty programs, the poverty rate in the United States has remained relatively unchanged since the 1960s.
2. He argues that Great Society programs, such as welfare and food stamps, created a culture of dependence and disincentivized work, leading to long-term poverty for many Americans.
3. Piereson also criticizes the government for expanding its role in providing social services, arguing that this has led to increased bureaucracy and inefficiency in delivering aid to those in need.