Many average voters, and especially minorities and suburban women, assume that Democrats care more for disadvantaged Americans than Republicans do. It is a myth that is dangerously close to becoming conventional wisdom.

The reasons Republicans care about poverty are:  empathy, human compassion, faith and economic common sense. Republicans have a long record in this regard. In fact, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, risked his country’s future to free the slaves. Republicans led the passage of the seminal 1964 Civil Rights Act over the bitter opposition of Southern Democrats.

Republicans believe that poverty is the “Achilles’ heel of capitalism.” After extensive nationwide visits to disadvantaged neighborhoods and to anti-poverty programs, House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan last year  outlined new ideas for “opportunity grants” that integrate programs and encourage work, give states more say over how money is spent, and make sure that results are rigorously measured. In a recent speech, Republican Senator Marco Rubio outlined similar thoughts on helping the poor, with new ideas for reforming the system.