The Cloward-Piven strategy is a political strategy developed in 1966 by sociologists Richard Cloward and Frances Fox Piven. It was detailed in an article titled “The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty” published in The Nation. The primary objective of the strategy is to create a political and economic crisis by overloading the welfare system. This would compel the government to adopt a guaranteed annual income to ensure economic stability and reduce poverty.
The strategy works by encouraging the full enrollment of eligible welfare recipients, thereby creating a bureaucratic and fiscal crisis. Cloward and Piven believed this would strain local and state governments to the point of collapse, forcing federal intervention and the establishment of a national system of income redistribution. They aimed to disrupt the existing welfare system to highlight its inefficiencies and injustices, pushing for broader liberal reforms through mass mobilization and public demonstrations.
The strategy also envisioned the use of mass media to inform and rally support from the broader liberal community. By fostering public awareness and promoting activism, Cloward and Piven aimed to generate institutional disruption, leading to significant social and political change. This included leveraging crises, whether spontaneous or orchestrated, to bring attention to systemic issues and drive legislative action.
