Alan Keyes on Welfare & Poverty

	Alan Keyes on Welfare & Poverty American Independent nominee for President; 2004 Republican challenger for IL Senate

Constitution does not require separation of church and state

The “separation of church and state” doctrine is a misinterpretation of the Constitution. The First Amendment prohibition of established religion aims at forbidding all government-sponsored coercion of religious conscience. It does not forbid all religious influence upon politics or society. Source: Organizational website, RenewAmerica.us, “On The Issues” , Aug 3, 2004

No socialism for poor children-invigorate families instead

Q: The United States has the highest rate of child poverty of any major Western industrialized nation. There are 13.5 million American children living in poverty. What specific plans do you have to reduce child poverty in America?
A: America need not turn to socialist measures, with all the lethargy and servility that they bring in their train, to improve the lot of its children.
A liberation of charitable and entrepreneurial energy, which my proposal to abolish the income tax would effect, and a re-invigoration of the family and the other associations that are the fruits of liberty and self-government will usher in an age of increasing prosperity, widely and deeply shared. This is the only way to help the poor compatible with American political and moral traditions; it is the way not taken in the old welfare state; it is the way we must take today. Source: National Association of Children’s Hospitals survey , Jan 8, 2000

Volunteer for community service; not via government funding

Q: Do you support funding for national community service programs such as AmeriCorps?
A: I am a great believer in volunteerism in this country, but I think it’s time we understood that it ought to be just that. The business of helping one another is a business that ought to be centered in the private sector, in the faith sector in this country. I think government’s involvement has been detrimental. Source: Republican Debate at Dartmouth College , Oct 29, 1999

Shift welfare from government to the faith sector

Government has botched up the welfare program, because when you enter the business of helping folks and - to put it frankly - you help them without the sermon, I think you do them harm. Efforts in which we are aiming to achieve mutual help for one another should be put back in the hands of the private and faith sector in this country. Source: Republican Debate at Dartmouth College , Oct 29, 1999

Disintegration of the family causes social ills

We must end government programs like the family-destroying welfare system and sex-education courses that encourage promiscuity. These programs actually hasten the moral breakdown. Our first priority should be restoring the moral and material support for the marriage-based two-parent family. The disintegration of the family is the major contributing factor in poverty, crime, violence, the decline in educational performance, and a host of other expensive social problems. Source: www.keyes2000.org/issues/welfareandfamily.html 1/7/99 , Jan 7, 1999

Jewish support of welfare for blacks causes enmity

The tragic and violent clashes between blacks and Jews are unhappily not the product of a unique and isolated set of circumstances. I believe that, unwittingly, Jewish supporters of the government-dominated welfare state approach to the economic and social problems of the black community helped to create the mentality that now produces anger and anti-Semitism in black neighborhoods. Welfare state socialism encourages Source: Our Character, Our Future, p. 48-50 , May 2, 1996

Encourage two-parent families instead of paying baby bonus

Most taxpayers are sick to death of a costly system that encourages and perpetuates poverty. The aim [of welfare reform] is to finally correct the perverse incentive system, which seems to enforce idleness and penalize people who work hard.

Current proposals for reform don’t go far enough. They entirely neglect the damaging impact that the system has had on family structure. It discourages marriage. It promotes single-parent, female-headed households. Instead of paying what amounts to a baby bonus to unwed mothers, we should find ways to provide a marriage bonus.

Unfortunately, present proposals merely add a work requirement to the baby bonus policy, and that’s not good enough. It’s right and necessary to encourage work rather than idleness. But for real welfare reform, we need to do more than fix the economic illogic of the welfare system--we need to work at mending the family structure it has helped to undermine.

Source: Our Character, Our Future, p. 57-9 , May 2, 1996

Click here for definitions & background information on Welfare & Poverty. Click here for VoteMatch responses by Alan Keyes. Click here for AmericansElect.org quiz by Alan Keyes. Click here for MyOcracy.org quiz by Alan Keyes. Click here for a Wikipedia profile of Alan Keyes. Click here for a Ballotpedia profile of Alan Keyes.
*Other candidates on Welfare & Poverty:*	*Alan Keyes on other issues:*
*Former Presidents/Veeps:* George W. Bush (R,2001-2009) V.P.Dick Cheney Bill Clinton (D,1993-2001) V.P.Al Gore George Bush Sr. (R,1989-1993) Ronald Reagan (R,1981-1989) Jimmy Carter (D,1977-1981) Gerald Ford (R,1974-1977) Richard Nixon (R,1969-1974) Lyndon Johnson (D,1963-1969) John F. Kennedy (D,1961-1963) Dwight Eisenhower (R,1953-1961) Harry_S_TrumanHarry S Truman(D,1945-1953) *Religious Leaders:* New Testament Old Testament Pope Francis *Political Thinkers:* Noam Chomsky Milton Friedman Arianna Huffington Rush Limbaugh Tea Party Ayn Rand Secy.Robert Reich Joe Scarborough Gov.Jesse Ventura	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty

Page last updated: Oct 26, 2021