During the War on Poverty and Title X years, the federal government funded family planning initiatives that were and remain controversial. In this article, Martha Bailey discusses her research on how well these programs worked in terms of reducing fertility rates in the areas served — research reported in the April 2012 issue of the [*American Economic Journal*](http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/abs/7612). Bailey also talks about her follow-up research on the still-unanswered question of “whether delaying/preventing these births allowed poor women to alter their life circumstances, finish school, get better jobs, marry more stable partners, and give their children more time and resources.”

More about Bailey’s work on the efficacy of federal family planning programs covered in LSA Magazine >