Public Assistance And Poverty Essay

Poverty, both domestically and globally, continues to serve to be a significant issue in society. However, everyone across the globe has a different idea of what it means to be poor and not everyone has the same access to public assistance programs. For this project specifically, we compare the perceptions of poverty between Sweden and America through the use of interviewing a select group of Swedish students as well as the types of the public assistance programs that exist in both countries. This project also deals with the difference of accessibility of certain public assistance between the two countries. In order to get an idea of what exactly we are discussing here, we must first ask what it means to be poor. The American stereotype is …show more content…
In America, there are a fair number of programs such as SNAP (food stamps), Medicare and Medicaid, Social security, TANF, and various others that offer help in receiving different types of help to those who qualify it. When asked to name some of the types of public assistance programs that exist in Sweden, the students responded that there were various types of public assistance programs that do exist. These programs include housing programs, education programs, income-based assistance, transportation, and unemployment assistance programs, as well as universal public health care (which is virtually free). One student even mentioned a special program in which people his age receive around $100 from the government. When asked about the requirements in order to receive help, the students collectively replied that almost all of the programs are universal and is given to everyone. One added that the income assistance program is the only one where one might have a little difficulty getting since it’s only given to those who truly need it. Other than that, the same student added that there is no difficulty receiving help from the government in these types of programs. This sharply contrasts with the how one receives help here at home. Often, a person or a family must qualify by meeting certain requirements and usually involve setting up appointments and going through a …show more content…
There is also a difference in the types of public assistance programs offered and the availability in receiving them. The differences between the two greatly demonstrate the ways of viewing and understanding poverty as well as distributing assistance to those who need