Don't expect a second War on Poverty, regardless of who wins the election.
Picking up where Lyndon Johnson left off in the 1960s would seem a logical response to the campaign's relentless criticism of economic inequality. But appearances are deceiving. Most proposals to reduce inequality — conspicuously from Hillary Clinton — are aimed at the middle class. Spillovers for the very poor would be mostly incidental.
These proposals include: raising Social Security payments; increasing subsidies for early childhood care; reducing — or eliminating — college tuition at state colleges and universities; boosting the minimum wage. For his part, Donald Trump has pledged not to trim Social Security benefits and to cut taxes across the board. That automatically favors the rich and middle class because they pay most of the taxes.