Essay On Social Welfare Reform

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According to research done by Michael Tanner, “Since 2000, the number of people receiving Social Security disability had increased by almost 60 percent while spending had increased by 140 percent” (Tanner). This isn’t shocking for as much money is poured into the welfare system. The United States’ welfare policy needs to be reformed back to a hand up rather than the hand out it’s become. The current policies drain the economy. Compared to the rest of the world, the United States recent reforms are not up to the standard they should be for such a world power. On top of those things, the system is easily abused; costing money and resources in other areas as well as welfare directly. The United States of America’s economy has been drained greatly …show more content…
While changes have been made in America, the changes have not been significant enough especially when the numbers are put next to other countries; “Whereas taxes and transfers brought down poverty rates by 20 percentage points in the UK and by 24 percentage points in France, they did so only by 10 percent in the U.S” (Morgan 154). Many other first world countries are having great success with their reforms, and because America is such a powerhouse, it is expected that it be at the top of the list with social reforms. Actually, the United States is going in what some experts say is the wrong direction; “While the Obama administration presses forward to combat ‘income inequality’ by expanding the American welfare state, the European nations and other industrialized welfare states are moving in the other direction” (Tanner). Other European countries are compacting their programs, and providing incentives to get people back on work. Often times “countries not only deliver benefits to their population, but tax them as well, effectively reducing the real benefits” (Morgan 154). So instead of being on welfare and staying on welfare it’s more appealing to work. As well as taxing the benefits residents are receiving, the government spends money on job training and skills that will help a person be a productive citizen. The skills the person learns will allow them to support his or her family if they have

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