Social Welfare Thesis

One hundred-ten, and one half million people are on welfare - that is over 35% of all Americans, and this number continues to rise. The United States Social Welfare System was originally created during the Great Depression, when unemployment and poverty were high and the American People were desperate for help. This system was set up to temporarily assist those who could not care for themselves. At that time, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the president and he had a goal to create jobs, assist and give aid to the needy children, and to supply financial and medical assistance to the disabled who could not physically work. However, over time; some citizens have figured out how to manipulate and abuse the welfare system. A system originally designed …show more content…
This program was set up to federally fund low income families. Mothers were paid to stay home and raise their children and not work outside the home. The attitude of people back then supported and encouraged women to stay home with the children. This women were mostly white or of Caucasion descent. Men and black women were expected to join the workforce and black women were not eligible for these benefits. Programs like AFDC were funded by the taxpayers. The taxes collected from the working class gave federal aid to women and children. Abusers of this system had more children because the more children in the household, the more aid and support they would receive from the federal government. he eligible women thought that if the government was paying them to stay home and have more children, it must be socially acceptable. Abuse of the welfare system continued, adding to more social injustice in their communities. Women were accused of having more and more babies to increase the amount of aid the government would give them. It was a "free handout" and these women were not expected to stay married, often becoming pregnant by different men. Individual states eventually put restrictions on this program and other welfare programs. Without these restrictions, social injustice would continue. Other programs were put in to place, supporting families using monthly checks and …show more content…
These people include taxpayers, the community, people who are on Welfare, and the working poor. Taxpayers support the program with funds that are earned by their paycheck, which frustrates and causes unbearable stress. The community is harmed due to the lack of productive citizens, which weakens our community and family structures. Welfare is enabling people to stay home and not support our country. People who are abusing the system feel "trapped" and helpless, unable to change the situation they are in. This destroys self esteem, self worth, and the opportunity to improve the quality of life for themselves and future generations. These people lose the hope and drive becoming productive citizens. The system is producing dependency instead of independency and productivity. The working poor are also affected and feeling the stress. These low income citizens continue to hold down low paying jobs, getting paid minimum wage. With the small income that they earn, these people are barely making enough to survive, but at the same time earning "too much" to get assistance from the government. These people are often tempted to quit and apply for welfare so that they don't have to continue working and barely getting