The welfare system was revolutionized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, which not only renamed it to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, but also reduced the benefits of millions of Americans. This act was created to transition welfare recipients to work, enforce child support, promote individual responsibility, and strengthen family values since the passage of this act was on a time when Americans were interested on redirecting state policies away from social welfare and towards social control, after being propagandized by the “tough on crime” movement. The American public tended to view the welfare system as disproportionally used by underserving blacks and non-working hard individuals, who were incapable of supporting themselves.
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The welfare reform has become a controversial topic for both conservatives and liberals. Both of these groups have different ideologies and intake of welfare recipients. Conservatives claim that poverty originates in individual choices and argue that welfare programs promote laziness and single parenting, a trend that can be seen today as a consequence of the many restrictive regulations embedded in the TANF after the 1996 reform. Liberals, on the other hand, agree with the increase of government involvement in the welfare system, which has been happening more often since the recession of
The welfare reform has become a controversial topic for both conservatives and liberals. Both of these groups have different ideologies and intake of welfare recipients. Conservatives claim that poverty originates in individual choices and argue that welfare programs promote laziness and single parenting, a trend that can be seen today as a consequence of the many restrictive regulations embedded in the TANF after the 1996 reform. Liberals, on the other hand, agree with the increase of government involvement in the welfare system, which has been happening more often since the recession of