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Social Welfare Policymaking

Social Welfare Policymaking. The Social Welfare Debate. Two main types: Entitlement programs: Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need. Means-tested programs: Government programs only available to individuals below a poverty line.

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Social Welfare Policymaking

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  1. Social Welfare Policymaking

  2. The Social Welfare Debate • Two main types: • Entitlement programs: Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need. • Means-tested programs: Government programs only available to individuals below a poverty line. • “Deserving” vs. “Undeserving” poor

  3. Income, Poverty, andPublic Policy • Who’s Getting What? • Income: amount of funds collected between any two points in time. • Wealth: amount of funds already owned. From Table 18.1

  4. Income, Poverty, andPublic Policy • Who’s Poor in America? • Poverty Line: considers what a family must spend for an “austere” standard of living. • In 1999 a family of three had a poverty line of $13,470. • Many people move in and out of poverty in a year’s time. • High rates of poverty among unmarried women

  5. Income, Poverty, andPublic Policy Figure 18.1- Poverty Rates, 1999

  6. Income, Poverty, andPublic Policy • What Part Does Government Play? • Taxation. • Progressive tax: people with higher incomes pay a greater share. • Proportional tax: all people pay the same share of their income. • Regressive tax: opposite of a progressive tax • Earned Income Tax Credit: “negative income tax” that provided income to very poor people.

  7. Income, Poverty, andPublic Policy • What Part Does Government Play? • Government Expenditures. • Transfer payments: benefits given by the government directly to individuals. • Some transfer benefits are actual money. • Other transfer benefits are “in kind” benefits where recipients get a benefit without getting actual money. • Some are entitlement programs, others are means-tested.

  8. The Evolution of American Social Welfare Programs • The New Deal and the Elderly • The Great Depression led many citizens to want the government to help protect against economic downturns and causes of poverty beyond their control. • Social Security Act of 1935 was the first major step by the federal government to help protect people against absolute poverty.

  9. The Evolution of American Social Welfare Programs • President Johnson and the Great Society • Johnson declared a “war on poverty” and created many new programs and it was his leadership that made the difference. • Medicare, school-aid programs and anti-poverty programs were some examples. • Other programs were designed to provide training and jobs, not just transfer payments.

  10. The Evolution of American Social Welfare Programs • President Reagan and the Limits to the Great Society • Reagan (like Johnson) played a lead role in getting attention on benefit programs. • Many programs had benefits reduced, and people were removed from benefit rolls. • Democrats worked to lessen the cut of the benefits to try and protect the truly poor.

  11. The Evolution of American Social Welfare Programs • Welfare Reform in 1990’s • Clinton (a Democrat) was able to pass a more significant welfare reform law than his Republican predecessors. • The new program put limits on the amount of time a person could receive benefits. • It also gave the states money to run their own welfare programs.

  12. The Future of Social Welfare Policy • The Entitlement Programs: Living on Borrowed Time? • Long-term sustainability of entitlement programs is hotly debated. • What can be done about Social Security? • Cut benefits? • Raise tax rates? • Allow people to invest on their own?

  13. The Future of Social Welfare Policy • The Means-Tested Programs: Do They Work? • Programs for the poor are not as popular as programs for the elderly. • The percentage of people in poverty has not changed significantly since the 1960’s. • But there is little agreement on if the programs help people in poverty or not.

  14. The Future of Social Welfare Policy • Social Welfare Policy Elsewhere • Many industrialized nations are more generous than the U.S. • But the tax rates are higher in those countries than in the U.S. • Other countries (especially European) have worked to reform their welfare programs.

  15. Understanding Social Welfare Policy • Democracy and Social Welfare • The U.S. has the smallest welfare system. • There is considerable unequal political participation by those that use the programs. • Social Welfare Policy and the Scope of Government • When social welfare costs go up, the size of government goes up. • What goes up is often difficult to bring down.

  16. Internet Resources • Census Bureau poverty reports • American Public Welfare Association • Heritage Foundation • Social Security Administration • “Green Book”

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