In his first state of the union address in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an "unconditional war on poverty in America." At the urging of our own John W. McCormack, Speaker of the House, Congress passed LBJ's Great Society social welfare policies to help provide better food, housing, healthcare, and job training opportunities for the poor and elderly. Programs like food stamps, Medicaid and Medicare, Head Start, and Jobs Corps were introduced.

Yet, a half century later, the battle continues. Poverty rates have risen since 2008. Today, nearly 50 million Americans, including 13 million children, are living below the poverty line.

President Obama is calling for a "year of action" on poverty, offering ideas on expanding opportunity for the middle class and long-term unemployed. Like the President, Governor Patrick is calling for a raise in the minimum wage.  And Maria Shriver's new report on women and poverty proves that economic gender inequality remains a challenge in our country.

In short, we need new weapons on the war on poverty.

At the McCormack Graduate School, we are on the front line of creating tools and promoting policies that foster economic inclusion, social justice, and sustainable growth. For example,

• Our Center for Social Policy has provided research to improve the local school lunch programs, and its constituent advisors are contributing to anti-poverty policies and post-2015 Millennium Goals at the United Nations.

• Gerontology Institute researchers have developed the Elder Economic Index which provides a more valid indicator of economic issues than the traditional poverty rate promoted and used by the Feds.

• Our Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy is opening doors to women's political opportunity and promoting policies to improve women's economic well-being.

• Professor Christian Weller prepares a monthly Economic Snapshot that captures vital statistics on unemployment and other indicators of poverty.

• Our Collins Center for Public Management recently completed a transition report for the new mayor of Lawrence, offering ideas to build the future of the poorest city in the Commonwealth.

• Public Policy PhD student Ghazal Zulfiqar recently completed a path breaking dissertation examining whether or not microfinance in her native Pakistan has provided financial empowerment to women and the poor.

• Professor Mark R. Warren and a team of six doctoral students are working with three youth organizations in Boston to identify strategies for how young people can more successfully advocate for youth jobs, better education, and safer communities. 

• Global health research by Professor Courtenay Sprague focuses on understanding barriers and enablers for low-income people with HIV in linking to and being retained in HIV care in Alabama and Mississippi where HIV infections are rising, and in South Africa, a high TB and HIV prevalence setting.

Yours,