Eight papers presented at a 1-day conference on poverty in Wisconsin are collected in this volume. The first six papers focus on poverty within the state and its effects on particular groups such as women, racial minorities, the elderly, and those in rural areas. The last two papers examine these findings in light of current poverty programs and future policy decisions. The first of two papers by Sheldon Danziger compares poverty in Wisconsin to poverty in the United States as a whole; the second paper examines the rise in poverty using alternative measures. Stephen Tordella's paper reports on poverty among Wisconsin's racial minorities, which accounted for 20% of those below the poverty level in 1979 while making up only 6.5% of the population. Ann Nichols-Casebolt looks at women and poverty, and Patricia Guhleman and Doris Slesinger examine poverty among the elderly. William Saupe and John Belknap discuss Wisconsin's rural poor. The issue of poverty in the context of Wisconsin's relief programs is addressed by Maurice MacDonald's review of the impact of the Reagan Administration's budget cuts on Wisconsin's food stamp recipients and by Mark Rank's and Paul Voss's summary of the characteristics of the state's welfare population. (JHZ)