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Topic:

Poverty in America. A brief introduction to the policy problem

Essay Instructions:

This paper must be written in APA 6th edition format, which includes a title page, body of at least 5 full pages and a reference page(s). Note: The title page and reference page(s) are not included in the 5 full – body length. You must use at minimum 3 scholarly resources for this policy paper.

Topics that must be addressed in this policy paper include

1. Brief introduction to the policy problem;

2. History of social welfare policy in this area;

3. Alternative proposals to address this problem (a minimum of two alternatives must be

included);

4. Rational policy analysis of the alternatives;

5. Political ramifications of each alternative;

6. Summary/conclusion.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Poverty in America
Author Name
University Name
A brief introduction to the policy problem
Unlike other countries or states, the social welfare policy is unstable in the United States, and that’s the reason why many Americans are living a miserable life. The social welfare policies aim to protect citizens from the financial crisis, insecurities of life, and economic risks to an extent. Various NGOs and social welfare organizations have been forefront in dealing with health and financial issues in the country. However, both the state and federal governments have failed to play their significant role. Until now, they have not been able to determine the actual number of deserving people in the United States (Edwards, 2000).
Besides so many efforts and social media campaigns, it is still unknown how to provide poor and needy with enough financial assistance and where to actually locate them inside the country. Most often, the social welfare programs and policies are introduced to benefit retired and elderly, the sick, widows, unemployed, disabled people, and work-injured individuals. Methods of financing vary from state to state. In Canada, India, China and Europe, a large number of social welfare policies have been implemented to help the poor and needy people. Unfortunately, only a few policies exist in the United States and most of them have not yet been implemented. American’s social welfare system has been divided into two main categories: public assistance and social insurance (Butz, 2016).
Social insurance is primarily based on the payroll contribution and earnings of a person, and public assistance, also known as social welfare, is mainly based on the financial requirements of a person. The main social welfare programs in the United States are Disability Insurance, Old Age, Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation, and Survivors. Are those programs or policies enough to cope up with the problem of poverty in the state? It looks like more and more policies and programs need to be introduced because poverty has reached an alarming level in the United States (Valdés, 2000).
History of social welfare policy in this area
The social welfare laws were first introduced in Germany in the 18th century. After the success of those rules and regulations, other countries followed the footsteps of Germany including the United States of America and Canada. With the passage of time, the eligibility requirements changed for a particular grant. The floor of a minimum protection came into being in America in the 20th century. Today, most of the social welfare programs and policies in the United States are designed to meet the minimum requirements of people. Some of the best state and federal welfare programs are free medical assistance, educational facilities, transportation facilities, availability of food and pure drinking water, energy and utility subsidies, housing facilities, and other primary services (Edwards, 2000).
As already mentioned, Disability Insurance, Old Age, Unemployment Insurance, Workers Compensation, and Survivors are the most common and oldest social welfare programs in America. Old Age, Disability Insurance, and Survivors are collectively known as Social Security. Unlike these policies, social security constituted 2/5 of the state and federal government spending two years ago. Funds for social security used to come from payroll taxes, which were then shared among the poor and needy without any discrimination (Butz, 2016). In the early 21st century, it was revealed that a person would receive financial assistance only when he had contributed payroll tax during his working years. However, this policy was good for nothing because most of the people needing financial assistance in the United States were jobless and uneducated. How could they pay taxes if they don’t even have a job? To address this issue, the government later revised its social welfare policies, and individual benefit levels were determined in other ways: the age of a person, his family background and his marital status (Valdés, 2000).
The disability insurance aimed to help disabled people, aging from 17 to 65. Individuals who were unable to do jobs were given high preference. They automatically become eligible for financial assistance, but to avail the facility, they are required to show medical proofs of disability. Out of all, social security proved to be most effective and efficient. In 1990, various rich and wealthy people came forward and joined hands to raise funds for people aged 55 or older. Social security benefits were provided to them in different forms: insurance policies, monthly home expenses, free residence, free medical and transportation facilities, and free education, as well as pocket money for the children and teenagers. It was, however, revealed that the eligibility criteria are subject to change (Edwards, 2000).
Prior to the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, only a few social welfare programs were being run. This reform transformed the way people receive financial assistance. The federal government used to give lots of money to states, but there was no way to determine who actually deserves financial assistance. As part of the AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) policy, it was ensured that funds reach the deserving people. Individuals were encouraged to apply for financial grants through a proper channel. Nationwide, every two out of twenty children received Aid to Families with Dependent Children.
In 1996, an act titled Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation was also passed by Congress. The same year, Bill Clinton supervised the entire social welfare system of the United States. It was revealed that every state and each family need to meet minimum criteria to ensure that all deserving, poor and needy get financial assistance. Moreover, the Welfare Reform Act encouraged states to provide people with not only financial assistance but also jobs and free education facilities. The bill restr...
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