Study from the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on the effectiveness of government programs in reducing poverty.

Article investigates the causes, modus-operandi and issues of begging in India; includes a number of photographs.

Article on the negative effects of the lottery. "People go there seeking hope, seeking huge benefits; instead they get ripped off, impoverished by the state government that was elected to protect them. The average person who consistently invests in the lottery will remain poor forever."

Opinion pieces examining the roots of discrimination against the needy, especially neighborhood NIMBY opposition to social services siting in Buffalo, New York, by William W. Berry.

An overview of poverty in the United States, including the latest Census Bureau estimates and distribution issues. Includes links and recent news.

An overview of the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), a generic federal block grant program for social services in the United States. Includes information on funding, services provided, and the program's legislative history.

This article discusses and compares the welfare state in Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, the United States, the European Union and developing countries.

Recession and Sept. 11 are causing more homelessness, which may echo '80s crisis. From the Christian Science Monitor.

Articles on poverty and Social Security from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal public policy research organization.

Overview of the official methodology used to calculate poverty in the United States from the US Department of Health and Human Services.