Launching the War on Poverty: An Oral History (Twayne's Oral History Series)

Much political debate in the 1990s has revolved around the War on Poverty launched in the 1960s. Liberals argue that the war is over, and the poor lost; conservatives feel the war should never have been waged in the first place. Michael Gillette has interviewed many of the participants in the War on Poverty to form a portrait of the hectic days when the anti-poverty programs began, from the perspectives of the bureaucrats, political appointees, and activists who shaped the initiatives. Launching the War on Poverty details the origins and passage of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, as well as the resistance to the program and criticism from local political forces and social groups. Gillette effectively recreates the atmosphere of the turbulent days surrounding the implementation of this controversial social reform.-- Examination of the beginnings of the War on Poverty agencies when recent political debate has focused on dismantling them.-- Analyses of the different programs, from popular agencies like the Job Corps and Head Start, to programs like Community Action, which were the target of much criticism.-- A must-read during an election year.Michael L. Gillette is the author of 'Launching the War on Poverty: An Oral History (Twayne's Oral History Series)' with ISBN 9780805791044 and ISBN 0805791043.