Storming Caesar's Palace

by Annelise Orleck

"In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty and dramatically expanded federal aid to America's most vulnerable citizens. But California governor Ronald Reagan soon issued a counter cry, declaring war on welfare and big government. Such criticism of welfare has now raged for four decades, convincing most Americans that Johnson's crusade was an expensive failure. In Storming Caesars Palace, historian Annelise Orleck turns that view on its head, chronicling the saga of welfare mothers in Las Vegas, Nevada, who defied all odds to build one of the country's most successful antipoverty programs." "Storming Caesars Palace captures the story of Operation Life's struggles and triumphs - a compelling illustration of what can be achieved when poor women chart their own course."--BOOK JACKET.