1 in 5 Chicagoans living in poverty has a bachelor’s degree. Those without a high school diploma are four times more likely to live in poverty.

Nearly 60 years after the U.S. began the War on Poverty, the rate of Chicagoans living in poverty is higher than it was before the effort. National poverty rates have fluctuated between 11-15%, defying solutions and perpetuating dependence.

Chicago has one of the highest poverty rates among the nation’s biggest cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Published Sept. 26, 2023 America’s War on Poverty has been an abject failure. Nearly $12 trillion and 60 years later, official poverty rates remain basically unchanged. While the nation waged a well-intentioned assault on poverty, it inadvertently launched a far more sinister war: on dignity. While attempting to eradicate poverty, America created countless government welfare...