Public Policy: Child Tax Credit (CTC)

PUBLIC POLICY
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Date Since President Biden’s proposition to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to help more Americans meet their basic needs while increasing opportunities for their children, the policy has remained stagnant due to the unending political conflicts between the Democrats and the Republicans. Greenberg reveals that the differences in political perspectives about the benefits and applicability of this policy proposal have stalled progress, exposing many families to widespread financial constraints. The most significant constraint to the passing of this policy is the opposition to supporting non-working parents with CTC spearheaded by Joe Manchin. The West Virginian senator feels that the lawmakers should incorporate a work requirement as part of the conditions all CTC beneficiaries must satisfy. However, this suggestion is unpopular among policy supporters because it would exclude the neediest people that CTC fundamentally sought to reach and transform their lives, including the elderly caring for children and people with disabilities. Other barriers include the minimal prioritization of CTC by Democrats, who minimize its impact on their political base because they perceive their supporters as educated women residing in economically affluent urban regions and polished suburbs. They also feel that their minority bases are more concerned about identity politics leading to their diminished enthusiasm for changing economic problems. Philbrick states that many politicians overlook programs offering condition-free cash because they feel they do not target people they consider deserving of government support. Proposers can overcome these barriers by pairing CTC with other urgent and highly prioritized policy bills as leverage for ensuring the opposing sides soften their hardlines. Other options include direct intercessions to seek support from radical opposers such as Manchin. Such bipartisan dialogues could improve the likelihood of the policy receiving sufficient support.   Reference List Adamczyk, Alicia. “Joe Manchin reiterates that he won’t support enhanced child tax credit without a work requirement.” CNBC, January 4, 2022. /2022/01/04/manchin-wont-support-enhanced-child-tax-credit-without-work-requirement.html#:~:text=4%2C%202022.&text=As%20Democrats%20work%20to%20pass,a%20work%20requi...