...Social Welfare: Pros and Cons Melissa Pugh Post University Online Social Welfare: Pros and Cons The ever-winding tendrils of hardship are impacting individuals who through the ups and downs of life; have become disabled, unemployed, or perhaps senior citizens. Social welfare is available for those who may find themselves in these unfortunate positions. While working at a Milwaukee University, Julia Doyle’s mother was killed by a senseless drunk-driving accident in 1990. Driven by determination, Doyle saw to it that justice was served however this required many requests for leave and because of this; she was terminated although she had invested ten years at the university. Julia Doyle went on to have a total of three children with little or no support from the father; deprived of many necessities, she became a recipient of welfare. She also admits to drug usage during her fall from grace. Nevertheless, for many, social welfare provokes dependency and others like Julia Doyle (Pomeroy, 2008) utilized its benefits to gain a life of financial stability. According to Flynn (2013), “Welfare is a term used to describe systems by which government agencies provide economic assistance, goods, and services to persons who are unable to care for themselves. Welfare is a form of social policy. Welfare programs serve as social safety nets.” Provision is made for member via social policy, social programs, and welfare enterprises. Upon the transfer of...
Words: 1281 - Pages: 6
...President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, also known as the Welfare Reform Bill, into effect ending welfare as it had been known for many years. “This law transformed the traditional entitlement to cash welfare under Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) into a transitional program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), which requires most recipients to work after two years of receiving assistance, or, at state option, even earlier, with few exceptions. After 60 months of receipt during a lifetime, a recipient is ineligible for federally-funded cash benefits (NPC, 2004)”. (1) The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act shifted the responsibility of the poor to the states. The Act also made allowance for states to perform drug testing of those who were in need of federal assistance. According to an article in the New York Times “Policy makers in three dozen states this year proposed drug testing for people receiving benefits like welfare, unemployment assistance, job training, food stamps and public housing (Sulzberger, 2011) .” The controversy rising from the proposed drug testing has many debating the question: Should people seeking government assistance be required to take drug tests? PROs/CONs: There are several pros and cons to the new legislature to drug test those seeking government assistance. PROS: Those in favor of the bills feel that it is reasonable to drug test those who receive money from...
Words: 1619 - Pages: 7
...Federal Policies - Welfare and Unemployment Miesha White Western International University American National Government GSI1405E Daniel Flynn Febuary 18, 2014 Federal Policies - Welfare and Unemployment In this essay I will provide information on Welfare and Unemployment Polices and how it causes national debates as sell as the conflicting federalism issues it creates. Federalism “is the formal division of authority and power between states and the national government”. (Levin-Waldman, 2012, Chapter 3). The American federal system is set up so that all of the states and national government within are equal in control. It is in that “equality” that the debates, pro and cons of these policies occur. If every states is equal and has equal control over the nation’s government policies, why is that these policies differ from state to state? Welfare and Unemployment were both created for assistance to the people of the nation who were in need. Welfare began in around 1911 when the United States adopted “England’s poor house laws.” ("Welfare," n.d., para. 4) The U.S. has had some form of Welfare in place since before our independence was won. In 1935 “during the Great Depression, when emergency relief measures were introduced under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Roosevelt's New Deal focused predominantly on a program of providing work and stimulating the economy through public spending on projects, rather than on cash payment.” ("Welfare," n.d., para. 4) President...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...Identify and describe at least three main types of health insurance in the U.S. The main types of health insurance are voluntary health insurance, social health insurance, and welfare medicine. In voluntary insurance or private health insurance in the United States can be subdivided in to three distinct categories: (1) Blue Cross and Blue Shield, (2) private or commercial insurance companies, and (3) health maintenance organizations. Nowadays, it is common for Blues and commercials to own and operate HMOs and other managed care plans. Social Health Insurance has two major mandatory social health insurance programs: (1) Workers’ Compensation for the costs and pain of suffering job-related accidents, and (2) Medicare for the elderly, disabled, and other special groups. Several states sponsor social insurance programs in the areas of temporary disability (California) or health insurance (Hawaii and Vermont). Workers’ Compensation provides two basic benefits: (1) cash replacement of a portion of wages lost due to disability and (2) payment for all or part of the medical care necessary. Welfare Medicine is a public assistance that is sponsored by a plethora of federal, state, and local government programs, but the most far-reaching program is Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act). The distinction between welfare medicine and social health insurance, both of which are public programs, is an important one and rests on the philosophical difference between a transfer payment and entitlement...
Words: 1484 - Pages: 6
...Common Sense Approach to Reforming the Federal Tax System On February 3, 2013 marked the 100th birthday of the 16th Amendment. The 16th Amendment paved the way for the creation of the federal income tax that continues to this day to have far reaching repercussions on the American tax payer. Before the ratification of the 16th Amendment, the birth of the federal income tax dates back to the Civil War. In order to finance the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed into law Revenue Act of 1861 on August 5, 1861. The Revenue Act consisted of a flat tax rate of 3% on income above $800 and 5% on individuals living outside of the United States. On July 1, 1861 United States Congress repealed the Revenue Act of 1861 and replaced it with the Revenue Act of 1862. The Revenue Act of 1862 introduced a progressive tax and established the Bureau of Internal Revenue. In 1872 Congress repealed the Revenue Act of 1862. One again elected officials tried to revive the federal income tax in 1894. However, in 1895 the federal income tax was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court because the tax was not apportioned according to the population of each state. In an address to Congress on June 16, 1909 President Howard Taft proposed that Congress consider a new amendment to the Constitution. “I recommend, then, first, the adoption of a joint resolution by two-thirds of both Houses, proposing to the States an amendment to the Constitution granting to the Federal Government...
Words: 3688 - Pages: 15
...QUALITY HEALTHCARE 2 Introduction My approach in this analysis is one of a personal matter. I feel very adamant about our country’s healthcare provisions and the lack thereof. Insurance companies are making it virtually impossible for the poor and/or middle class to afford to receive quality healthcare. In that, the politicians and the wealthy are the only citizens that can afford to take care of themselves, or their loves ones when it comes down to “the BEST care that money can buy” concept. Topic Money Talks: To Be Uninsured or Underinsured… That is the question. The price of a procedure dictates the quality of care, (lower, price less quality). Should the markets for the uninsured or the underinsured dictate quality healthcare? Especially, when faced with a catastrophic illness or event and cannot afford to have better healthcare. What sparked this topic was when a discussion that came up in class pertaining to the Professor’s father who life to me was not held as valuable when the hospital doctors made the determination that the cost of keeping him alive was no longer in the hospital’s best interest. Likewise, my mother went through a situation where she fell very ill and was taken to a major medical center for emergency to determine the cause of her serve abdominal pain. A diagnosis was rendered and she was stabilized and released. The medical...
Words: 1249 - Pages: 5
...Several people have a big issue with this because some regulations of the law give a large amount of control to the federal government. People argue that this involvement from the government makes the law unconstitutional. The biggest question being is if the pros outweigh the cons and if the plan will benefit the people of this nation There have always been issues in this country with healthcare being extremely expensive. This being the case, many people have been forced to go uninsured and put their own health at risk simply because they could not afford to make it a priority. Not only does this cause them to go without preventative care, but when the time comes in an emergency and medical attention is needed the average American cannot afford to pay the out of pocket medical bill and ends up filing bankruptcy on the medical bill resulting in the hospital losing a ridiculous amount of money. President Obama along with many Americans agreed that something has to be done to change this travesty. There are many pros and cons to the Affordable Care Act that needs to be evaluated in order to decide if this law is good or bad for our country. The following are some main points that we all need to think about: Pros: • Affordable benefits • Children’s CHIP program expands to 9 million participants • Small business tax credits • Children remain on parents insurance until the age of 26 • Improved Medicare plan •...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...of permitting the build-up of Japan’s military capabilities will be discussed through academic research and personal points of view. This will occur through a short history on the issue itself, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of allowing Japan’s military forces to reconvene, and finally an analysis of which seems to be the best option. Before discussing the pros and cons of the issue, a brief history must occur. Within the Japanese Constitution is a clause that prohibits an act of war by the state. Immediately after World War II, on May 3, 1947, the Constitution came into effect. Within the text of the document, Japan formally renounces war in its sovereignty and forbids settling international disagreements through using military force. Because of Japan’s role in World War II and their sanction to create a constitution, this particular article was very impactful. As a result of this, Japan focused its resources and talent on other areas of importance within their country at that time. For example, they focused on their manufacturing of goods and trade, as well as the welfare of the nation. Through this reform, SCAP hoped to change the...
Words: 1367 - Pages: 6
...TANF The welfare system was created to help poor men, women, and children who are in need of financial and medical assistance. Over the years, welfare has become a way of life for our people. Currently, the government is in the process of reforming the welfare system. The welfare reform system’s objective was to get people off welfare and start back working. The goal was to move people from dependency to self-sufficiency but problems to the new welfare reform system have occurred. Some believe that, "participation in a welfare-to-work program might create new problems for children by adding strains to family life or by exposing children to poor substitute care arrangements for policies that design welfare-to-work programs that pursue the dual goals of economic self-sufficiency for families and healthy development children.http://www.cyfernet.org/welfare/roleextprog/current.html. "Welfare policies aimed at improving family circumstances for both children and parents must not make the error of focusing solely on parents; if the intention is to enhance the immediate and long-term development of both generations within the family, then policies must differentiate between youth and their parents."http://www.cyfernet.org/welfare/roleextprog/four_themes.html. These issues have brought about numerous debates. These debates have focused on the welfare reform system. Pros and cons of this new system have been debated, focusing on the welfare of the child, the parent, the employer...
Words: 2055 - Pages: 9
...Medicare is the United States' health insurance program for individuals age 65 or older. However certain people younger than age 65 can also qualify for Medicare, including those who are disabled, has permanent kidney failure or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. Many Medicare participants must also have supplemental health care coverage in order to cover these charges that are not covered as part of the Medicare program. Is Medicare the perfect program? Well Medicare is financed by a percentage of the payroll taxes paid by workers and their employers. Also this program receives another percentage financed by premiums deducted from monthly Social Security checks. What is this Medicare crisis that everyone fears? The Baby Boomers are certainly growing older and even the youngest of these baby boomers are approaching 50 years of age. Retirement is getting closer but can this generation and the generations following count on the Medicare coverage that the past generations was fortunate enough to receive. Before more money was being saved then what was being spent for Medicare, and that extra money was put into the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund. Those funds total about $500 billion, all of it US Treasury bonds. However now thanks to the increasing number of individuals on...
Words: 1604 - Pages: 7
...Health Care Reform Pros and Cons Halcyone Russell Strayer University Professor Beth Cox Politics, Policy And Ethics in Public Sector- PAD 510 December 2, 2011 Scientific evidence can be used in showing the positives of the Health Care Reform. If you lost your job next week your insurance would likely go with it. Excluding temporary programs like COBRA, losing your job basically means losing your health insurance too. Sure you can buy your own, but that can get expensive and there are often holes in the policy than with employer provided health insurance. Under a universal system, you don’t have to worry. Imagine you had to pay each month for access to use the police. If you lost your job and couldn’t afford the police bill and called 911, you wouldn’t get service. That sure sounds awful. The most fundamental underlying basis of universal health care is the fact that in the system, you don’t have to worry about not being covered. The United States spends more on health care as a percentage of GDP than any other developed nation. Countries that have some kind of universal coverage generally spend less. This is because the costs of a universal system are less than private. Drugs can be purchased in greater bulk, prices for services can be negotiated at a lower rate due to the larger pool, and a large singular system would reduce the overhead involved in processing insurance and medical services. Furthermore we already have laws in the US that require emergency rooms...
Words: 1459 - Pages: 6
...Question two: Choose an EU policy and explain the justification for its operation at EU level and its impact on a country of your choice. To begin, the EU Policy that I have chosen is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which was established by the European Commission in 1960 but it wasn’t until 1962 that it actually came into effect. Within this essay I am going to look at the justification of the policy’s operation at an EU level and its impact on Ireland over the last few decades. This policy was a necessity to EU integration, as agriculture is one of the single biggest economic sectors. The Common Agricultural Policy is viewed as a partnership between Europe and its farming community. The policy has gone through many modifications and reforms since its creation and it continuing to change in the present day. The Common Agricultural Policy was established as a policy that would enhance the social structure of agriculture in Europe while preserving the environment and the safety and quality of the goods that famers were producing. CAP maintains commodity price levels and subsidises production within EU Member States. Many different types of mechanisms are used to achieve this, such as, import quotas and levies as well as internal intervention prices, which serve as a floor for market prices. In addition to this, there are also production quotas. These are in place to avoid the over production of foods that draw in financial support well in excess of their market price. The policy...
Words: 2422 - Pages: 10
...America is a broken land. Overrun with hate, greed, and laziness, this nation is steadily being poisoned from within. Ever since this nation was founded, the factor that forces this nation to stay in an economic slump is unemployment. A person who is actively searching for work and is unable to find any is defined as unemployed. Unemployment is the demonic shadow that has engulfed the globe, and welfare is its life support; neither will be present in the future if the necessary steps are taken. America will change for the better if those in charge of fixing unemployment must look to the past to avoid repeating the same mistakes. The years prior to the Industrial Revolution were simpler in the sense that unemployment “existed of course...
Words: 488 - Pages: 2
...The rationale behind capitalism is that economic growth resulting from capitalist societies contributes to the welfare of the population. However, the recent financial crisis has clearly demonstrated otherwise. In the fall 2008, the world suffered the worst financial crisis after the 1929 Great Depression. This crisis originated in the United States and raised the controversial issue on whether capitalism is as efficient as it has been thought to be. Rahel Jaeggi, a professor of practical philosophy at Humboldt-University in Berlin, reviews three main critiques of capitalism in her essay What (If Anything) Is Wrong with Capitalism? published in 2016. The functional argumentative strategy against capitalism is based upon the premise that capitalism does not fulfill the purpose for which it was created in the first place. Dysfunctionality, in this context...
Words: 1756 - Pages: 8
...Kristen Suarez Professor Grenier FIU- SYP3000 December 10, 2013 Third World Immigration’s Influence on America’s Way of Life To begin, it goes without saying that the topic of immigration in the United States has been a very controversial topic for quite some time. During this week’s readings, I found myself weighing both the pros and the cons of immigration reform and trying to decide which side of the spectrum I fall when considering whether third world immigration is in fact, a threat to America’s way of life. My initial gut reaction was that I would not oppose immigration and do not find it threatening to America’s way of life. This initial decision was conducted before completing the readings and I found my decision was based on the fact that I did not want to be considered a “racist” or discriminatory in any way. Also, as I have mentioned in one of my previous discussions, both my parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba during the “freedom flights” in the mid-sixties. My grandparents brought came to this country along with my parents for opportunity and to escape the tyrannous and communist leader, Fidel Castro who had just taken over. I immediately thought that without immigration, my parents would have never come to this country and who knows, maybe I wouldn’t even exist to write this paper! Then, the words of Peter Brimelow caught my attention in the section of “What About My Grandfather?”, Brimelow writes: “Many Americans have difficulty thinking...
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
