FIGURE 28.1 Americans in Poverty, 1959–2000
Between 1959 and 1973 the poverty rate among American families dropped by more than half — from 23 percent to 11 percent. There was, however, sharp disagreement about the reasons for that notable decline. Liberals credited the War on Poverty, while conservatives favored the high-performing economy, with the significant poverty dip of 1965–1966 caused by military spending, not Johnson’s domestic programs.