The proportion of children growing up in poverty is more than twice as high in the United States as in Germany, France, or Scandinavia. The U.S. government spends billions on anti-poverty programs, but does not provide the kind of comprehensive safety net that's common in Western Europe.
Some observers look for the explanation in American culture.
Anti-poverty forces watched with envy. The Fund and its allies spent the budget session trying to head off new cuts in social programs. Those of us who work on these issues try desperately to be on top of what last-minute thing might be negative. For decades, groups like the Children's Defense Fund have called for a stronger safety net while pointing across the Atlantic. I think the American public had a very heavy tilt against welfare as exemplified by AFDC, and had the feeling that they were subsidizing generations of people who never could arise from the welfare system.