Riots and Welfare: Are They Related?

This paper examines the impact of riots on the percentage increase in financial support of welfare programs at the local level. Data on 23 riot cities are compared to 20 nonriot cities of similar size to determine if the percent change in the combined city and state expenditures on welfare were different. Analysis revealed riot cities had larger budgetary increases in welfare the year following their riot; whereas, nonriot cities had no such pattern of expansion. While the welfare system was not the object of attack in the riots, more relief was given because it is believed to be the service which could be expanded most easily by local municipal officials without threatening other interest groups.