In the case of Engelman v. Amos, 1971, the U.S Supreme Court dealt with a challenge to New Jersey's welfare regulations that reduced assistance for children who were not living with both parents. The plaintiffs argued this violated their rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and was discriminatory against children in single-parent households. However, the court upheld these regulations on grounds that they served a legitimate state interest by encouraging family unity and discouraging illegitimacy. The court found no evidence to suggest that these policies had an adverse effect on families or led to increased rates of child neglect or abuse as claimed by plaintiffs.

In the dissenting opinion for Engelman v. Amos, Justice Blackmun argued that the majority's decision to strike down New Jersey's residency requirement for welfare benefits was an overreach of judicial power. He contended that states should have discretion in determining their own welfare policies and that federal courts should not interfere unless there is a clear violation of constitutional rights. In this case, he did not believe such a violation existed as the state had legitimate reasons for implementing its policy - namely, preventing fraud and ensuring fiscal responsibility. Furthermore, he pointed out that other states had similar requirements which were upheld by lower courts; thus creating inconsistency in rulings across jurisdictions due to Supreme Court’s decision on this case.