50 years later, the war on poverty is far from over

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Jan 8, 2014

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50 years later, the war on poverty is far from over

50 years ago today, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the war on poverty. Half a century later, after the country's great recession, the number of people living below the line hasn't gone down by much.

The US Census Bureau reports that 49.1 million Americans live in poverty.

50 years ago today, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the war on poverty. Half a century later, after the country's great recession, the number of people living below the line hasn't gone down by much.

50 years ago today, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the war on poverty. This "war" was meant to help the nearly 1 in 5 Americans who were poor.

Half a century later, after the country's great recession, the number of people living below the line hasn't gone down by much. That reality is also reflected here, where Californians tend to struggle more than the rest of the country.

For more we're joined by Ann Huff Stevens, director of the Center for Poverty Research at UC-Davis.