Economics professor Steve Horwitz writes about the first three steps he would take to reduce poverty in this Freeman article today.

There are many more things to do (actually, un-do, since the obstacles to the reduction of poverty are all government policies that should be repealed), but Steve gives a good start.

Statists manipulate sympathy for the poor to expand government. If you actually want to help the poor, you have to understand that coercion by the state hurts them vastly more than it helps. This is another instance of political deception — people focus on a few visible benefits but miss the far greater (but hidden) costs.