Trends Paper
BSHS/305 Historical Development of Human Services: An Introduction
May 12, 2014

Trends Paper
Economic and political activities of the government directly influence the delivery of public services. In this way, human services programs are always affected directly or indirectly depending on fluctuations in the national economy or the political decisions. "Much of the variation in delivering broad public services and alleviating poverty can be attributed to the way public resources are allocated by politicians" (The world Bank Group, 2011). Due of all of this, it can be add that the public investment of the government and the investments of the non-profit organizations are also influenced by the increase of the population, because the human services have to pay for better programs that will help the population in need.
One important economic event that affect the human service field is the government spending. Budget spending allotted for human services such as food stamps, housing, unemployment, Medicare, and welfare impact the care provided to those in need of assistance. The economy, which is currently under distress, forces people into unemployment, fear of losing their homes, cars, and valuables. This causes an increase in those applying for services. The economic hardship increases the demand of human services for income assistance in the economic sector. Sometimes people can experience extreme difficulties which may lead to economic hardship thereby needing more human services. When economic hardship increases, it results in many problems. When government spending is decreased because of budgetary cuts, and more people are applying for services due to the poor economy, we become involved in a spiral of distress and personal hardship. “Economic downturns create human service challenges for individuals and families” (Woodside &