The effectiveness of the U.S. social safety net continues to be an important national issue. This volume of The ANNALS offers a comprehensive consideration of eleven of the most prominent entitlement programs in the United States, reflecting on their ability to support Americans and examining necessary reforms to expand on current successes. 
 
 

Introduction Entitlements: Options for Reforming the Social Safety Net in the United States - Robert A. Moffitt and James P. Ziliak Social Insurance Fixing Social Security: Major Reform or Minor Repairs? - Gary Burtless Economic Principles for Medicare Reform - Amitabh Chandra and Craig Garthwaite Identifying Work Capacity and Promoting Work: A Strategy for Modernizing the SSDI Program - Nicole Maestas Unemployment Insurance Reform - Till von Wachter Means-Tested Transfer Programs Medicaid: What Does it Do and Can We Do It Better? - Janet Currie and Valentina Duque The Earned Income Tax Credit - Hilary Hoynes Exploring Options to Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach When One Size Does Not Fit All: Modernizing the Supplemental Security Income Program - Mary C. Daly and Mark Duggan Reforming Housing Assistance - Rob Collinson, Ingrid Gould Ellen, and Jens Ludwig The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program: Time for Improvements - Ron Haskins and Matt Weidinger Child Care and Child Care Policy: Existing Policies, Their Effects, and Reforms - V. Joseph Hotz and Matthew Wiswall Reflections Work, Family, and Community: A Framework for Fighting Poverty - Angela Rachidi and Robert Doar The Economic Context for Reforming the Safety Net - Karen Dynan