The Safety Net and Poverty 2-27-2016

Most agree that society should take care of its neediest members. The question is how this should be accomplished. Our current federal safety net was designed for a different era and is becoming increasingly outdated, ineffective, and expensive. How can we reform it to be both successful and fiscally sustainable? To what degree does our current entitlement system stretch well beyond the actual needs of those in poverty? And to what extent should we rely on state governments and civil society instead of a one-size-fits-all national approach? -- This panel was presented at the 2016 National Student Symposium on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the University of Virginia School of Law. -- Featuring: Mr. Christopher DeMuth, Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute; Dr. William Galston, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution; Prof. Julia Mahoney, John S. Battle Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law; and Prof. David Super, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center. Moderator: Prof. John Harrison, James Madison Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law. Introduction: Mr. Thomas Sanford, Vice President for Special Events, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter.