The U.S. welfare system has been under relentless attack since the early 1980s, culminating in major changes in how the system will operate in the future. This paper argues that the assault on welfare comes from a number of sources reflecting concerns about race, sex, class, and the role of government in ameliorating poverty. The paper identifies the various sources of antipathy to welfare, discusses the contradictions in some of the debates on welfare, and suggests how the U.S. is both different from and similar to other Western countries facing similar issues.