Chapter 9 Welfare Dependency
Welfare dependency is connected to lower cognitive abilities in women, especially among those on welfare after having their first child. Studies show that most white women receiving welfare come from the lowest quartile of IQ scores, indicating that being smart helps women find jobs and avoid relying on welfare. For women who only use welfare temporarily, having a low IQ is an important risk factor. However, for chronic welfare recipients, having a low socioeconomic background is a stronger predictor. The idea of a "culture of poverty" suggests that long-term welfare dependency can be passed down through families, especially among women with lower intelligence. The welfare program Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) aimed to help vulnerable groups, but when never-married women started receiving benefits, it upset the public. From the 1960s onward, the number of families on welfare increased sharply, reflecting larger social changes rather than just a drop in intelligence.
Iq and Welfare
Welfare mothers usually come from lower levels of cognitive ability, meaning they often have less education and poorer reading skills compared to mothers who do not use welfare. Research shows that women with lower IQs may be more likely to rely on welfare. Smarter women can find jobs and get support more easily, which helps them avoid welfare. Data shows that women in the lowest cognitive classes use welfare much more than those in higher classes. This connection relates to issues like having children out of wedlock and poverty, showing that cognitive ability and welfare dependence are linked in a complex way.
Going on Welfare After the Birth of the First Child
The analysis focuses on white women who had their first child before 1989 and examines the likelihood of these women going on welfare in the year after childbirth. It highlights the importance of intelligence (IQ) in this decision, even when considering factors like marital status and poverty. The data shows that women with lower IQs have a significantly higher chance of receiving welfare compared to those with higher IQs. Additionally, the socioeconomic background of the mothers does not significantly affect their welfare status. For women with only a high school diploma, low cognitive ability remains a strong predictor of welfare use.
Chronic Welfare Dependency
Chronic welfare recipients are a specific group of women who rely on welfare for a long time, often due to various social and economic factors. While the average time on welfare for all women is about two years, never-married mothers who had their first child as teenagers can remain on welfare for eight years or more. Among young white women who had children out of wedlock before turning 19, around 22 percent become chronic welfare recipients. This percentage increases slightly to 28 percent for those below the poverty line.
Most chronic welfare recipients have low educational attainment, with over half lacking a high school diploma and very few having attended college. The socioeconomic background of these women is crucial, as many come from poorer families. For those who completed high school, IQ plays a more significant role in becoming a chronic recipient than socioeconomic status. The average IQ of these young women is about 91, suggesting a link between low intelligence and chronic dependency. Additionally, family behavior influences welfare reliance, as working-class parents often support their daughters rather than letting them go on welfare, highlighting how poverty and education perpetuate a cycle of welfare dependency.
Drawing Together the Findings on Illegitimacy and Welfare
Many parents advise their daughters that having a baby without a husband, as well as going on welfare, is unwise. Research shows that white women with higher mean IQs tend to remain childless or have babies within marriage, while those with lower IQs are more likely to have illegitimate children and use welfare. Women with lower cognitive abilities often rely on welfare, especially if they are poor. However, education level plays a role in welfare usage, and for some low-IQ women without high school diplomas, their socioeconomic status is a stronger factor than intelligence.
Welfare dependency is connected to lower cognitive abilities in women, especially among those on welfare after having their first child. Studies show that most white women receiving welfare come from the lowest quartile of IQ scores, indicating that being smart helps women find jobs and avoid relying on welfare. For women who only use welfare temporarily, having a low IQ is an important risk factor. However, for chronic welfare recipients, having a low socioeconomic background is a stronger predictor. The idea of a "culture of poverty" suggests that long-term welfare dependency can be passed down through families, especially among women with lower intelligence. The welfare program Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) aimed to help vulnerable groups, but when never-married women started receiving benefits, it upset the public. From the 1960s onward, the number of families on welfare increased sharply, reflecting larger social changes rather than just a drop in intelligence.
Iq and Welfare
Welfare mothers usually come from lower levels of cognitive ability, meaning they often have less education and poorer reading skills compared to mothers who do not use welfare. Research shows that women with lower IQs may be more likely to rely on welfare. Smarter women can find jobs and get support more easily, which helps them avoid welfare. Data shows that women in the lowest cognitive classes use welfare much more than those in higher classes. This connection relates to issues like having children out of wedlock and poverty, showing that cognitive ability and welfare dependence are linked in a complex way.
Going on Welfare After the Birth of the First Child
The analysis focuses on white women who had their first child before 1989 and examines the likelihood of these women going on welfare in the year after childbirth. It highlights the importance of intelligence (IQ) in this decision, even when considering factors like marital status and poverty. The data shows that women with lower IQs have a significantly higher chance of receiving welfare compared to those with higher IQs. Additionally, the socioeconomic background of the mothers does not significantly affect their welfare status. For women with only a high school diploma, low cognitive ability remains a strong predictor of welfare use.
Chronic Welfare Dependency
Chronic welfare recipients are a specific group of women who rely on welfare for a long time, often due to various social and economic factors. While the average time on welfare for all women is about two years, never-married mothers who had their first child as teenagers can remain on welfare for eight years or more. Among young white women who had children out of wedlock before turning 19, around 22 percent become chronic welfare recipients. This percentage increases slightly to 28 percent for those below the poverty line.
Most chronic welfare recipients have low educational attainment, with over half lacking a high school diploma and very few having attended college. The socioeconomic background of these women is crucial, as many come from poorer families. For those who completed high school, IQ plays a more significant role in becoming a chronic recipient than socioeconomic status. The average IQ of these young women is about 91, suggesting a link between low intelligence and chronic dependency. Additionally, family behavior influences welfare reliance, as working-class parents often support their daughters rather than letting them go on welfare, highlighting how poverty and education perpetuate a cycle of welfare dependency.
Drawing Together the Findings on Illegitimacy and Welfare
Many parents advise their daughters that having a baby without a husband, as well as going on welfare, is unwise. Research shows that white women with higher mean IQs tend to remain childless or have babies within marriage, while those with lower IQs are more likely to have illegitimate children and use welfare. Women with lower cognitive abilities often rely on welfare, especially if they are poor. However, education level plays a role in welfare usage, and for some low-IQ women without high school diplomas, their socioeconomic status is a stronger factor than intelligence.