One of the most tired clichés in American political discourse is ‘Think of the children’. The phrase is used by both major political parties and is used as rallying for everything. Strengthened child labor laws, the anti-abortion movement, mothers against violent video games, keeping schools open during the Covid-19 pandemic, you name it, it’s always about ‘the children’.
For as much as Americans ‘think of the children’ when discussing political programs, one would think that American politicians must, logically, enact policies that benefit the country’s children. But as is often the case in Washington, such moral principles are riddled with contradiction.
A recent study by the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University makes clear that if thinking of the children means combating childhood poverty, Washington is failing miserably. According to the study, published on February 17, nearly four million children slipped into poverty last month after the expanded child tax credit (CTC), part of a temporary Covid-19 stimulus package, expired.