Welfare on Fire: The Earned Income Tax Credit Is Not Enough To Extinguish Poverty

Authors

Conor Colasurdo

Document Type

Article

Abstract

(Excerpt)

The project of this Article is to assess U.S. welfare policy as a social institution, particularly with respect to modern notions of equality and social justice. In particular, the Article evaluates the Earned Income Tax Credit (“EITC”) in its role as a major aspect of the U.S. social safety net. The Article draws upon the moral and philosophical teachings of Pope Francis and John Rawls to create a political and legal framework to examine the EITC as a social institution that should, but does not, promote human dignity.