View Research by Author - Eric Meier

Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/EricMeier

This report presents estimates of how the major income security changed proposed by H.R. 3734 would affect family incomes. Such welfare reform legislation is designed to decrease dependency on government assistance and to shift more responsibility for social programs to states. The analysis, based upon the Urban Institute's TRIM2 microsimulation model, compares how families would fare under the new rules compared to current program rules, making reasonable assumptions about how program changes will affect behavior.

This paper examines how a budget reconciliation bill under the Balanced Budget Act of 1995 would affect social welfare programs, taxes, and family income by using the Urban Institute's TRIM2 microsimulation model. Topics covered include (1) how current government programs assist families; (2) how the reconciliation bill would affect families; (3) the aggregate effects of changes in government spending and taxes; (4) effects on total family income; and (5) effects on poverty. The study does not consider the bill's proposed changes in government health programs nor does it include the effects of reductions in capital gains taxes.

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