Principle Of Less Eligibility Analysis

Trattner, W. I. (1999). From poor law to welfare state: a history of social welfare in America. New York: The Free Press, c1999. Pp 51-57

Question # 8-What is Meant by the “Principle of Less Eligibility?” As stated by the author, the “Principle of less eligibility,” meant that those receiving public assistance “should be worse than that of the lowest paid self-supporting laborer.” In a sense this meant if a person dug ditches or scooped human waste for a living, the situation of a public assistance recipient should be much worse. The author points out that in 1834, when the “Poor Law Reform Bill,” passed it enforced the negative attitudes about poverty. Essentially, if someone was poor it was viewed as their fault. Services should never lift a recipient out of poverty, but just provide meager assistance in a stigmatizing way. The author describes how impoverished individuals in England during the mid-1800’s, were viewed in negative, criminal ways if they received assistance. Furthermore, those described as “able bodied and on assistance were particularly maligned in the court of public opinion. Many of the homeless and

The text describes why many wanted to end public assistance programs. According to the author, American society in the mid-1800’s had the notion that if you gave someone assistance, it discouraged them from wanting to be self-sufficient. In addition, there was a societal thought that public assistance corrupted a person in some way. The author described several reasons why private giving was favored over public giving. First it would eliminate the poor’s sense of entitlement to benefits. Secondly, political pressures were harder when assistance came through private means. Lastly, a connection would now exist between the rich and the poor. If the public was not providing benefits, people would have to find work because private assistance was not something that was