These disruptions would generate severe political strains, and
deepen existing divisions among elements in the bigcity
Democratic coalition: the remaining white middle class, the
white working-class ethnic groups and the growing minority
poor. To avoid a further weakening of that historic coalition,
a national Democratic administration would be constrained
to advance a federal solution to poverty that would
override local welfare failures, local class and racial conflicts
and local revenue dilemmas. By the internal disruption
of local bureaucratic practices, by the furor over public
welfare poverty, and by the collapse of current financing
arrangements, powerful forces can be generated for major 4
economic reforms at the national level.