January 6, 2009 Notes

Ch. 19: Social Welfare Programs
--->Controversial: take money from rich to give to poor.

Welfare State- apply to governments that provide these social programs for individual's well being.

Great Depression 1930's- before this we had social darwinism stance (strong survive and gov. shoulnd't do much about it). With Progressives in the 1900's looked at it but action towards better work places not actual social programs.

New Deal- Improve farm prices and jabs for people.

Second New Deal- Social Security.

Initially these new deals are controversial then people began to accept it. However they don't get rid of poverty or unemployment.

1960's Johnson's Great Society
-invisions less fortunate boosted by government programs.
-sub. project onto this is called the War on Poverty

War On Poverty
-directed at inner cities
-trained, educated, and provided jobs
-doesn't work well with income redistribution but made the poor more aware of their political power

Public Assistance- gov. aid to individuals that can show proof of need for aid.

Social Security Act- four types of categorical assistance programs which become entitlements which everyone has a legal right to.

1. Old age assit. for need elderly (usually 66-67 start to draw out)
2. Aid to needy blind
3. Needy families with dependent children- families where assistance for moms not used to work force due to separate spheres
4. Totally permanently disabled

Until 1996- national gov. gave money to states in proportion to the number of people with incomes fedrally defined poverty level.

Poverty level is 3 times the cost of an economy food plan- helps the gov. see how Americans are doing

Poverty- 20% of Americans under age of 18 live in poverty.

Single family poverty increase tend to be among women nationally

Welfare Reform Bill- Clinton signs in 1996 due to welfare being under criticism.

-Congress Responds

Reagan tried to overhaul Welfare first

-This law flat out abolised aid to families with depend. children

-made new immigrants not eligible for benefits

-most states stepped up to provide benefits however.

-people asked for welfare had two years to find a job

-person going on welfare on has five years total on his/her lifetime for welfare

-however states can do their own stuff which devels power to state gov. letting them do more and more which started with Reagan

-initial outcome: 1. number of people on welfare dropped 2. number of homeless rose