| This thesis examined the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 that ended welfare as we know it. The act generated much debate with dire predictions from the left and rosy promises from the right. Political concessions were made by a Democratic president and a Republican congress. In the spring of 1994, welfare rates began to fall throughout the United States. This continued after the passage of PRWORA until the recession of 2001.;Albany County had the lowest decrease in welfare recipients of any county in New York State from January 1995 to December 2002. In 2004, a new commissioner was appointed and an Employment Unit was established. The reestablishment of an Employment Unit in Albany County led to a 20% decrease in TANF caseloads, a 43% decrease in Safety Net cases, and a 41% increase in participation rates. |
