What rationale did William Graham Sumner use to argue against welfare programs?
A) Most poor people were inferior and deserved their fates.
B) The poor were just as able to rise into prosperity as anyone else.
C) "Survival of the fittest" meant that the poor were not selfish enough to pursue success.
D) The natural order of equality had to be disrupted by the great fortunes of a few.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sumner argued against welfare programs by suggesting that poverty was a result of personal failure and that assistance to the poor interfered with the natural social order, reflecting a Social Darwinist perspective that saw societal progress as dependent on the survival of the fittest, implying those in poverty were less fit or deserving.

What Rationale Did William Graham Sumner Use to Argue Against