The Poverty Law Education of Charles Reich

This essay, written for a symposium on the life and legacy of Charles Reich, explores how Reich came to be interested in the field of poverty law and, specifically, the constitutional rights of welfare recipients. The essay emphasizes the influence of two older women in Reich’s life: Justine Wise Polier, the famous New York City family court judge and the mother of one of Reich’s childhood friends, and Elizabeth Wickenden, a contemporary of Polier’s who was a prominent voice in social welfare policymaking and a confidante of high-level federal social welfare administrators. Together, Polier and Wickenden helped educate Reich about the facts on the ground, including potential constitutional violations, and encouraged him to write about these issues. Subsequently, they used their powerful networks to circulate Reich’s writings and amplify his arguments. This history showcases Reich’s deep connections to left-liberal reformers who came of age during the New Deal: although he famously critiqued some of their handiwork, he relied heavily on their ideas, expertise, and good will

Extending the Information Revolution

America has a grand opportunity to lay the foundations for a prosperous and secure future. Our task is not just reviving the weak economy or increasing security -- as important as those are. Real sustainable economic growth and international security will come from expanding the information revolution to all parts of our society. Metcalfe's Law states that the value of a network increases exponentially in relation to the number of users. The same is true for markets and economic activity. By leaving some behind -- both at home and around the world, we impoverish not only those individuals; we also impoverish ourselves. This paper lays out a series of recommendations in a number of areas from a number of experts. It is based on some shared principles:the critical importance of inclusion and true participation by all;technology is, and should be, a tool -- the means to an end, not the end itself;open and competitive economic systems work best;and a more economically prosperous world is a more secure world