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Government Welfare

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GOVERNMENT WELFARE

March 13, 2012

GOVERNMENT WELFARE PROGRAMS

Government welfare programs tend to encourage dependence on government support by allowing recipients to remain on the system indefinitely and receive. Some feel that welfare is necessary to help those who cannot help themselves, to allow them a better quality of life with the main goal of assisting the children of needy parents. In 2008, FamilyFacts.org reported that $714 billion was spent on welfare. This included $42 billion for housing, $63 billion on food, $154 billion in cash aid, $372 billion in medical care, and $83 billion on other expenses. Many others feel that welfare distributes wealth to those who don’t earn it. To them, welfare encourages illegitimate births, the breakup of families, and discourages recipients from bettering themselves (Mankiw, p.429). Welfare provides the means for a lazy society that is dependent on hard working citizens for their support. Welfare provides the basic needs and allows for a better quality of live that protects the children from hunger and homelessness. The parents of these children often qualify because their income is at or below poverty level and they have met their state’s requirements to receive any benefits. But instead of the system being a temporary crutch, the system allows recipients to grow dependent on welfare and increases their incentive to continue participating in the program. Many recipients remain on benefits much longer than needed and continually engage in practices that keep them eligible. These, in turn, beget a cycle that children see their parents engaging in and therefore accept that behavior as the norm. With members in each generation participating in welfare programs, when does the cycle end?

The Effects of Welfare on the Family
The faces of welfare happen to be mostly single mothers. Children of single mothers often

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