The government exists to run a country and to protect what they believe are the best interests of the people living in it.
Those social programs that the government has created or instituted or funded have helped a lot of people to get out of poverty... but they have not kept people from getting into poverty.
To say (sorry to disagree ST) that the "poverty rate now is the same as it was then" implies (unintentionally) that the same people who were in poverty 10 years ago are still in poverty. This isn't true. More than half of ALL American's have been in poverty by the time they were 65. The chance of becoming poor each year is about 4%. 50% of all people who are in poverty escape poverty within a year... 75% within 4 years.
http://www.urban.org/..._transitioningpoverty.pdf
Lastly, to say that the poverty rate hasn't gotten better since the 60's isn't actual evidence that govt programs don't work. If one were to hypothesize, if the government did absolutely nothing, would the poverty rate get worse? I'd bet my next 24 pay checks that it would be worse.... hard to disagree with.
