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The article offers information on the U.S. economy. The 2009 recession has revealed that the social safety net established by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt has provided little buffer for low-income families. The income-support programs of the government such as unemployment insurance, cash welfare, and food assistance are in need of reforms according to the authors. They also call for providing stronger safety net of programs by updating and fixing the present systems.

The article discusses the need for a national effort to fight poverty in the U.S. From 1999-2009, various efforts were done by the federal government to solve poverty including cash incentives for good behavior, initiatives that promote social, racial and economic mobility and integration, interventions for community building, and support for the working poor and childless workers. The author calls for expanding the reach of these initiatives to cover more than one city, one community or one subpopulation.