Is Washington, D.C. failing the safety net? | Tony Woodlief

Is the federal government equipped to manage America’s safety net? In this episode of Defending Ideas, host Nic Dunn sits down with Tony Woodlief, senior executive vice president for State Policy Network and senior fellow for the Center for Practical Federalism. They examine whether Washington, D.C. is failing low-income families — and whether states are better positioned to deliver effective, accountable support. The conversation focuses on the design and performance of major safety-net programs like SNAP, the tradeoffs between centralized control and state flexibility, and how federalism could lead to better outcomes for the people these programs are meant to serve. Along the way, they discuss incentives, work, accountability, and what meaningful safety-net reform could look like in practice.

Show Notes:

• What states can expect with the new SNAP match: Options to reduce state error rates
• Work & Opportunity Initiative

Defending Ideas is a weekly podcast produced by Sutherland Institute. On this show, we are committed to renewing the principles of common sense conservatism, making you a better champion of sound ideas. Visit defendingideas.org.