(Archived document, may contain errors) 219 October 13, 1982 WELFARE NEED AND WELFARE SPENDING INTRODUCTION I How much does the government spend on welfare? How much should the government spend on welfare the answers to these questions-one of act, one of judgment-should dictate the course of fu ture welfare spending. Yet, despite intense debate on the cost of specific welfare benefits, neither the Reagan Administration nor its critics has come to grips with either of these basic questions.