Is social welfare a “poverty trap” or a “safety net”?
Social welfare in the United States has been a hotly debated topic, ever since 1776. I am sure it goes further back but I will stick with 1776. Benjamin Franklin has at one time, spoken about how he felt about social welfare. According to Franklin, “…I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means.—I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more …show more content…
Franklin Roosevelt believed that it should function as a way for people to "keep their chins up and their hands in." But beginning in the 1960s, a new philosophy took hold, especially in New York City, a philosophy that encouraged people to become dependent on government rather than move toward self-sufficiency. Between 1960 and 1967 -- a time of great prosperity -- the size of the welfare rolls in the city more than tripled, rising to over 800,000 in 1968 from 250,000 in 1960. It remained above 800,000 each day for three decades, not dropping below that point until last February and frequently exceeding one …show more content…
By helping families keep their heads above water when poverty strikes, we invest in the well-being of our most important resource, our people. It is not just a question of social justice, but one of a smart economic policy. Other countries have learned this valuable lesson. The question before Congress and the American people, is when will we? First thing to note is that in the US, most recipients of government welfare actually have jobs, but the pay is so bad that they wouldn’t get by (especially with kids) without the extra aid. Also, most of them are white. Unfortunately, when one case of welfare fraud or one case of some minority refusing to work (preferring to claim welfare instead) makes the news, it suddenly turns public opinion against it. It’s also very sad when people suddenly jump to conclusions when they see welfare users using food stamps (or EBT card whatever it’s called) to buy cookies and birthday cakes once in a while - as if poor people don’t deserve to have just one happy relaxing day after suffering through months of shit. Let’s see if we can move toward a system that helps people in the long-run rather than helping for the short-term while making them worse off in the
Social welfare in the United States has been a hotly debated topic, ever since 1776. I am sure it goes further back but I will stick with 1776. Benjamin Franklin has at one time, spoken about how he felt about social welfare. According to Franklin, “…I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means.—I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more …show more content…
Franklin Roosevelt believed that it should function as a way for people to "keep their chins up and their hands in." But beginning in the 1960s, a new philosophy took hold, especially in New York City, a philosophy that encouraged people to become dependent on government rather than move toward self-sufficiency. Between 1960 and 1967 -- a time of great prosperity -- the size of the welfare rolls in the city more than tripled, rising to over 800,000 in 1968 from 250,000 in 1960. It remained above 800,000 each day for three decades, not dropping below that point until last February and frequently exceeding one …show more content…
By helping families keep their heads above water when poverty strikes, we invest in the well-being of our most important resource, our people. It is not just a question of social justice, but one of a smart economic policy. Other countries have learned this valuable lesson. The question before Congress and the American people, is when will we? First thing to note is that in the US, most recipients of government welfare actually have jobs, but the pay is so bad that they wouldn’t get by (especially with kids) without the extra aid. Also, most of them are white. Unfortunately, when one case of welfare fraud or one case of some minority refusing to work (preferring to claim welfare instead) makes the news, it suddenly turns public opinion against it. It’s also very sad when people suddenly jump to conclusions when they see welfare users using food stamps (or EBT card whatever it’s called) to buy cookies and birthday cakes once in a while - as if poor people don’t deserve to have just one happy relaxing day after suffering through months of shit. Let’s see if we can move toward a system that helps people in the long-run rather than helping for the short-term while making them worse off in the