Page "War on Poverty" Paragraph 10

President Johnson's " War on Poverty " speech was delivered at a time of recovery ( the poverty level had fallen from 22. 4 % in 1959 to 19 % in 1964 when the War on Poverty was announced ) and it was viewed by critics as an effort to get the United States Congress to authorize social welfare programs.

Some economists, including Milton Friedman, have argued that Johnson's policies actually had a negative impact on the economy because of their interventionist nature.

Adherents of this school of thought recommend that the best way to fight poverty is not through government spending but through economic growth.