Introduction: As the Dust Settles: Welfare Reform and Rural America

Abstract

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 (PRWORA) dramatically transformed the federal safety net and the food assistance landscape for low-income households int he United Staes. Although considerable research has focused on understanding how these reforms are affecting the lives of low-income families, most research to date has focused on urban settings. Yet there is reason to think that welfare reform may not be working as well for hte almost 7.5 million people living in poverty in nonmetropolitan areas (Rural Policy Research Institute 2001..etc). America's recent economic boom has left a poorer menu ofjob options for rural than urban families, and unemployment, underemployment and poverty levels remain higher in rural than in urban places.().