This year, the federal government will spend more than $668 billion on at least 126 different programs to fight poverty; welfare spending by state and local governments adds an additional $284 billion. Clearly we are doing something wrong, as the poverty rate is now at the highest level in nearly a decade. Join us to hear Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner discuss his new paper, “The American Welfare State: How We Spend Nearly $1 Trillion a Year Fighting Poverty — And Fail,” and whether it is time to reevaluate our approach to fighting poverty.