Publications
The Hamilton Project produces and commissions policy proposals and analyses to promote broad-based economic growth by embracing a significant role for well-designed government policies and public investment.
Papers
Progress and stagnation: US poverty, deep poverty, and the safety net, 1967–2023
Robert Greenstein and Danilo Trisi examine poverty, deep poverty, and the poverty gap in the U.S. over time.
Economic Security & Inequality
Social Insurance
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Posts
The SNAP state cost-shift policy leaves the program’s existence to chance
Economic Security & Inequality
Social Insurance
Posts
Event recap—Taking on tax: The future of corporate taxation
Tax Policy & Budget
Policy Proposals
Toward a uniform business tax system: Examining proposals to tax large pass-through entities as corporations
Tax Policy & Budget
Explore All Publications
Policy Proposals
October 21, 2016
Graduated reintegration: Smoothing the transition from prison to community
High recidivism rates—some 50 percent of released prisoners return within three years—constitute a major factor driving both high crime rates and high incarcer…
Economic Facts
October 20, 2016
Twelve facts about incarceration and prisoner reentry
In this set of economic facts, The Hamilton Project explores the characteristics of the populations of the currently incarcerated and individuals reentering th…
Papers
October 20, 2016
The economics of private prisons
Recently, private prisons have become the focus of considerable attention. This economic analysis explores the growth of the private prison industry and provid…
Posts
September 26, 2016
An update on who is poor in the United States
In order to address poverty, we must know who is poor and how the composition of who is poor is changing. This analysis describes who was living in poverty in …
Posts
June 17, 2016
Who is poor in the United States?
Understanding the characteristics of the poor is crucial for crafting effective anti-poverty policies. In this Economic Analysis, The Hamilton Project document…
Posts
April 21, 2016
Strengthening SNAP to reduce food insecurity and promote economic growth
The persistent and troubling problem of food insecurity impacts a wide range of Americans, including the struggling lower-middle class, and has far-reaching im…
Economic Facts
April 21, 2016
Twelve facts about food insecurity and SNAP
One in seven households was food insecure in 2014—meaning that at some time during the year the household had difficulty providing enough food for all of their…
Policy Proposals
June 23, 2015
Building on what works: A proposal to modernize retirement savings
Workers rely more than ever on individually directed retirement savings vehicles, such as defined-contribution plans and IRAs, to provide the income necessary …
