elfare Reform
orking for wages is the principal means for obtaining income and getting ahead in American society. ork is the key to personal independence and an effective way to achieve a meaningful role in our society. Significant participation in the workforce also is a necessary condition for receiving benefits from our nation's major social welfare programs, unemployment insurance, workmen's compensation, Social Security retirement and disability payments, Medicare health insurance, and the Earned Income Tax Credit. ith one major exception, adults living outside of an institution, who are unable to work because of their age, physical condition, or other limitations, must depend on family, friends, and/or a meager patchwork of public relief and private charities for income, food, clothing, and housing (e.g., Supplemental Security Income (SSI), food stamps, general relief, homeless shelters, soup kitchens).

Analysis -- Labor Supply and Demand

Parents of minor children (usually women), whose level of income and assets are…...

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Works Cited

1. Blank, Rebecca M. "Evaluating Welfare Reform in the United States." Journal of Economic Literature 40, no. 4 (December 2002): 1105-1166.

2. Finneran, Lisa, and Morgan Kelly. "Social Networks and Inequality." Journal of Urban Economics 53, no. 2 (March 2004): 282-299.

3. Gimble, Daniel E. "Institutionalist Labor Market Theory and the Veblenian Dichotomy." Journal of Economic Issues 25, no. 3 (September 1991): 625-649.

4. Hillard, Michael, and Richard McIntyre. "Is There a New Institutional Consensus in Labor Economics?" Journal of Economic Issues 28, no. 2 (June 2005): 619-629.

Another main point that authors Grogger and Karoly point out is the fact that the samples used to help build and implement the 1996 welfare reform, specifically the TANF legislation, were skewed in their representation of specific demographics (66). As the need for welfare affects different groups, the need for reform grows out of the necessity to better serve the populations in need. As the 1996 welfare reform events fade further into history, the need to revamp and reform the system grows. As with any government assistance program there are going to be individuals who abuse it and improper fitting of certain demographics. ithout a doubt, the political and economic landscapes have changed so much since 1996 that a reform is necessary. Another key point that quickly becomes relevant when talking about the proposed fiscal austerity of most major world economies in the wake of the global economic recession is…...

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Works Cited

Blank, Rebecca M. "What We Know, What We Don't Know, and What We Need to Know

About Welfare Reform." University of Michigan Presentation. March, 2007.

Duncan, G.J. And Brooks-Gunn, J. "Family Poverty, Welfare Reform, and Child

Development." Child Development, Vol. 71, No. 1. 2000: 188 -- 196.

Several institutions had been affected consequent to the elfare Reform Act. The U.S. health program, Medicaid, has been created in order for families with a lower income to receive medical assistance. After the enactment of the elfare Reform Act, several people that earlier enjoyed the services of Medicaid could no longer do so.

The elfare Reform Act had replaced the AFDC program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF). Preceding the TANF program, the AFDC and Medicaid had been in a close connection, with every person benefiting from the AFDC also benefiting from Medicaid assistance.

Leighton Ku,

Teresa a. Coughlin)

Even with the fact that the TANF program and Medicaid are not connected, efforts had been made in order to keep the families involved in the former AFDC program assisted by Medicaid.

Medicaid is now only meant for the families that earn less than a standard income considered enough to support their medical…...

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Works Cited

Ku Leighton, Coughlin Teresa a. (1997). How the New Welfare Reform Law Affects Medicaid. Retrieved January, 8, 2009, from the Urban Institute Web site:  http://www.urban.org/publications/307037.html 

2. Rector, Robert. (2001). The Effects of Welfare Reform. The Heritage Foundation.

3. Welfare Reform Act (1996). Retrieved January 8, 2009, from Internet FAQ Archives Web site: http://www.faqs.org/childhood/Th-W/Welfare-Reform-Act-1996.html

In other words, that limit should be raised (or exemptions should be allowed) so that the person getting a job and experiencing the pride and increased self-esteem that goes with it, should not have to lose the other supportive components (like food stamps and health insurance for the children's needs) just because now she is making a bit over the limit that was set. Of course it would be reasonable and fair for the TANF to apply a cut-off date (within fairness guidelines). But for a mother who has just been liberated from the welfare rolls (and she was embarrassed to be on the welfare rolls to begin with) and who proudly now goes to work each day, dresses up nice, feels pretty and useful, it would be (and is) a shame to take her food stamps and children's health insurance away because she is actually progressing up the…...

The number of years for eligibility was decreased, and this led to more people being eligible for welfare. Employers were able to increase their labor demand, and the reforms made sure that the increased labor supply would be mandated, at least to a certain extent. (Bradshaw, 2003)
These were the overall objectives and aims of the welfare reforms, at a glance, in a hospital setup: to reduce the incapacity benefit claimants drastically, by about one million people, within a single decade, get 300,000 single parents back to work, and away from welfare, within a specific time period, and at the same time, increase by about one million, the number of people aged above fifty, into productive employment. It was also one of the main aims and objectives of welfare reforms that 'Employment and Support Allowance' would be able to effectively replace IB by the year 2008. Furthermore, all new claimants,…...

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References

Andrulis, Dennis P; Duchon, Lisa M; Reid, Hailey M. (July, 2003) Before and after Welfare

Reform, the Uncertain Progress for poor families and children in the Nation's 100 largest cities and their suburbs. Retrieved at Accessed 20 July, 2006http://www.hscbklyn.edu/urbansoc_healthdata/Urban%20Center%20Website/web%20design2/pdf%20files/report3pdfs/urbanreport3.pdf.

Besharov, Douglas. J. "The past and future of welfare reform" Retrieved at   Accessed 20 July, 2006http://www.welfareacademy.org/pubs/welfare/pastandfuture.pdf .

Bradshaw, Jonathan. (2003) "Children and Social Security"

Jenck's criticisms do apply to Olasky's arguments concerning the need for personal and local involvement in charity and aiding the poor, though to a lesser degree. Olasky argues in the Tragedy of American ompassion that welfare and other social programs perpetuate poverty because they do not demand any self-help from the recipients, which is similar to Murray's argument that the benefits for remaining poor in a welfare state outweigh the benefits of employment (Olasky 1992; Murray 1984). While it might be true that personal and local involvement are preferable to federal social programs, Jenck's assertion of the inherent imbalance in today's society also implies an imbalance in the degree and amount of support that could and would be offered in certain communities (Jenck 1993). That is, in communities already mostly or entirely reduced to poverty, there would be little help available at the local and personal level. A federal system…...

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Christopher Jenck's main contention with Murray in his own book Rethinking Social Policy is that there are still inherent imbalances in society as a whole that afford unequal opportunities to various segments of the population (Jenkcs 1993). There are also different value systems at work in a diverse society, and the bleak view of social programs that Murray possesses fails to take into account the fact there is an uneven playing field to begin with. Jencks points out that those likely to utilize social programs often have an overall disadvantage in society due to intergenerational poverty and/or a minority status (Jencks 1993).

Jenck's criticisms do apply to Olasky's arguments concerning the need for personal and local involvement in charity and aiding the poor, though to a lesser degree. Olasky argues in the Tragedy of American Compassion that welfare and other social programs perpetuate poverty because they do not demand any self-help from the recipients, which is similar to Murray's argument that the benefits for remaining poor in a welfare state outweigh the benefits of employment (Olasky 1992; Murray 1984). While it might be true that personal and local involvement are preferable to federal social programs, Jenck's assertion of the inherent imbalance in today's society also implies an imbalance in the degree and amount of support that could and would be offered in certain communities (Jenck 1993). That is, in communities already mostly or entirely reduced to poverty, there would be little help available at the local and personal level. A federal system allows for the redistribution of resources across broader areas and populations, and though this leads to the depersonalization of aid that Olasky decries, it is arguably the only solution for lifting entire segments of the population out of poverty.

Though Jenck might be a little presumptuous in the strength of his assertion, there is some merit to the points he raises. A completely ands-off system such as that advocated by both Murray and Olasky assumes a generally balanced society, and even a cursory examination of demographics relating to poverty does not support this assumption. There is an obvious imbalance in today's society, and though the current welfare system might not provide an adequate solution to poverty for many, neither would an entirely laissez-faire approach.

The long-term results are that lower income and working class families are suffering more from these transformations. ("Illinois Economic Outlook," 2012) (Clary, 2012)
Once this theory has been supported or refuted, is the point that actuaries can begin to show how the PWOA is impacting stakeholders. ("Illinois Economic Outlook," 2012) (Clary, 2012) ("Illinois," 2013)

Statement of the Problem

Describe the nature of the problem / policy

The state of Illinois is facing a dilemma with the stagnant economy adversely affecting the unemployed. Many have been turning to welfare and other programs for assistance. However, the changes introduced in the last 15 years are creating hardships for a number of working class families. This is resulting in an estimated 35% not receiving the help they need to deal with everyday challenges. ("Illinois Economic Outlook," 2012) (Clary, 2012) ("Illinois," 2013)

How long has this problem existed?

The problem has existed for the last six years. This is…...

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References

Illinois. (2013). BLS. Retrieved from:  http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.il.htm 

Illinois Economic Outlook. (2012). Chase.com. Retrieved from: https://www.chase.com/online/commercial-bank/document/Illinois.pdf

Clary, J. (2012). Illinois Poverty. Chicago Gazette. Retrieved from: http://www.gazettechicago.com/index/2012/01/illinois-poverty-reaches-highest-point-in-decades-study-reveals/

Lewis, D. (2004). The Two Worlds of Welfare Reform. Northwestern University. Retrieved from:  http://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/publications/papers/IFSyear4.pdf

welfare reform first took hold a few years ago many states jumped at the chance to implement its practices. he states hoped that by adopting and implementing welfare reform they could improve the financial situation their current system was in as well as improve the lives of those who were welfare participants. Urban areas faced different challenges than rural areas when it came to welfare reform and those challenges sometimes caused the participants to fall through the cracks of the system and be lost. here were considerations such as shortages in affordable housing, transportation issues and other aspects of welfare reform that were specific to city life. One major metropolitan area that has implemented welfare reform policies is Philadelphia. Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia has adopted and implemented many welfare reform policies that are supposed to benefit the recipients of the systems. he reforms that have been implemented since 1997 in…...

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The welfare reform act in Philadelphia has been in place for more than five years. The thousands of recipients who were told to comply came onto the program just as the economy took a downward turn. Those who were first up to bat have reached the five-year mark and many others are coming up on it next year and the year after. While the program has promised to move people off of the welfare roles and into to workforce the full impact of welfare reform in Philadelphia has yet to be measured. While there have been many studies conducted to convince the public iof the plan's success potential. Before the plan was adopted studies concluded it was time for reform so that the financial burden of the system could be reduced. The five-year mark has passed and there are still many impoverished areas of Philadelphia. This study will attempt to determine what the impact of welfare reform has been on those areas. The study will focus on the areas of About two years after beginning operations, WtW programs were approaching their planned enrollment levels. By April 2001, three of the 11 study grantees had reached or exceeded their planned goals for participation -- West Virginia-HRDF, Philadelphia-TWC, and Chicago. Two other grantees -- Yakima and Indiana-RVR -- were nearing their overall goal (94% and 88% of their goals, respectively), and Fort Worth and Phoenix had reached about 70% of their goals.

Chart III.1

Participation Goals vs. Actual Participation, by Study Site

The expansion of the article then proceeds to logically and statistically provide strength to the authors' arguments.
The authors minimize the probability of bias by carefully considering both the historical and current opposition views: 1) That the welfare reform legislation would result in disaster in terms of poverty and hunger; and 2) that any results to the contrary is connected to the financial stability of the country rather than directly to the reform program.

The authors, however, disprove both of these opposition views by means of historical and statistical fact. Their views are strengthened by the use of legitimate and highly respected sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau and USDA Economic Research Service. They use data from these and other entities to prove irrefutably that no historical period of financial stability can be compared to the results…...

Furthermore, it is agreed that those who are working tend to earn low wages, about $7.00 per hour on average, thus making it difficult for them to support their families (Sawhill pp). Another concern is that the poverty rate has not fallen as much as the caseload (Sawhill pp). Fewer poor children are receiving assistance, and the incomes of the poorest one-fifth of single-parent families have continued to fall (Sawhill pp). Many families remain in deep poverty, and according to some reports, requests for emergency assistance have grown (Sawhill pp). Overall, some 700,000 families were significantly worse off in 1999 than their counterparts in 1995 (Sawhill pp).
Since welfare reform was implemented during an unprecedented economic expansion, questions remain about how much of the good news should be attributed to the 1996 law and how much to a strong economy or to the growth of other programs such as the…...

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Works Cited

Sawhill, Isabel. (2001, June 22). From Welfare to Work.

Brookings Review. Retrieved July 23, 2005 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.

Sommerfeld, David. (2002, March 01). Race, welfare reform, and nonprofit organizations. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. Retrieved July 23, 2005 from HighBeam Research Library Web site.

Welfare. Retrieved July 23, 2005 at http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761575466/Welfare.html

For the year June 2000 there were 5,780,543 TANF families as against 14,111,992 TANF families during January 1993. (Total TANF ecipients by State)
Graph

The following graph shows the percentage of the U.S. population on Welfare since 1960. As it can be seen that there was a gradual rise from the year 1960 when the program was launched till 1972 after which there was a plateau phase till 1978. It remained range bound from 1979 till 1990 with minor rise and fall. The years 1993 and 1994 was the peak with more than 5.5% of the U.S. population covered under TANF. After 1994, coverage came down sharply from 1996 till 1999 when it was 2.5%. (Statistics: Percentage of U.S. Population on Welfare since 1960)

Percentage of the U.S. Population on Welfare Since 1960 http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/stats/uspops.gif

eferences

Action Alert- Ask for a Multiyear TANF Extension with Significant Child Care Funding. etrieved at http://www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=965Accessed on 12 May,…...

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References

Action Alert- Ask for a Multiyear TANF Extension with Significant Child Care Funding. Retrieved at   on 12 May, 2005http://www.results.org/website/article.asp?id=965Accessed 

Administration for Children and Families: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. Retrieved at   Accessed on 12 May, 2005http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/exsumcl.htm .

Besharov, Douglas J. The Past and Future of Welfare Reform. Retrieved at   Accessed on 12 May, 2005http://www.welfareacademy.org/pubs/welfare/pastandfuture.pdf .

Gorman, Angie O. Playing the Rules and Still Losing Ground. Retrieved at   on 12 May, 2005http://www.americamagazine.org/gettext.cfm?articleTypeID=1&textID=2419&issueID=397Accessed 

Mothers -- Transitioning from elfare to Corporate America
elfare in the United States is both a complex and controversial subject. The issue focuses on several aspects of public policy: economics, cultural diversity, actualization, incentives, education/training, taxation and even the actual role of the government. e first begin this study with an overview of the idea of a state welfare system, its origins, development, purpose, and particularly view the manner in which the welfare system has changed since the Great Depression. It is then important to understand the implications of the 1988 Family Support Act (FSA) and the change in attitude and policy regarding welfare, and the newer focus on finding ways to train, retrain, or educate those on welfare so they can find gainful employment -- particularly those who move into the corporate world. Challenges, interventions, and potential outcomes are examined, among which looking at the juxtaposition between the fiscal…...

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Works Cited

Burnett, R. (2010, May 28). Social Welfre: Does it Really Help or Does it Really Hurt? Retrieved from The Cypress Times: http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/Columnists/The_Hard_Truth/SOCIAL_WELFARE_DOES_IT_REALLY_HELP_OR_DOES_IT_REALLY_HURT/30509

Galster, G. (Ed.). (1996). Reality and Research: Social Science and U.S. Urban Policy since 1960. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press.

Gyamfi, P., Brooks-Gun, J., & Jackson, A. (2005). Moving Towards Work: The Effects of Employment Experiences on Welfare-Dependent Women and their Children. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 12(2-3), 39-62.

Hamilton, G. (2002, July). Moving People from Welfare to Work. Retrieved from MDRC Policy Analysis:  http://www.mdrc.org/publications/52/summary.html

Nearly all of the existing models for financial redistribution available in American politics isolate potential applications on lines of income, while others divide along racial, ethnic, and religious lines to help insure the same standard of living for all of those in need -- adults and families included.
The current situation in America highlights the need to isolate welfare recipients further, by more than just income and instead to also take into account the idea of regional differences that foster not only varied opportunities of employment, but also a wide array of external sources of lifetime substance. Because America is still trying to balance the difference of tax revenues, budget allotments, and other sources of welfare subsidy, it is most important that both social scientists and legislators illuminate the regional discriminations that exist between the urban and rural poor.

Deavers, Kenneth L. "Social Science Contributions to Rural Development Policy in the…...

" (Barron et. al. 1994) third sociological explanation of individualist precepts is found in social learning theory:
Social learning theory tells us that people adopt others (particularly influential persons) as models for their own behavior. Widespread corruption and lawbreaking by society's leaders may therefore have a profound disinhibiting effect on the rest of the population. According to this thesis, the prevalence of crime and corruption leads to further crime and corruption. Thus, crime is, according to such an explanation, not merely related to antecedent conditions, such as poverty and general disadvantage, but can gather its own momentum. (Gabor, 1990)

Evaluate 2 of the sociological explanations:

The concept that all one needs to stop poverty is "rational self-interest and self-maximizing behavior" is ignorant of the real world at best and cruel beyond words at worst.

Social learning theory, it seems on reflection, would excuse almost any behavior on the grounds that somebody important had done…...

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References

 

Instead, the welfare system encouraged perpetual social dependency and provided a reason for poor people not to work at all when the most reliable method of achieving financial independence (besides continuing education) is precisely, to begin working at minimum wage jobs while gradually learning skills and establishing contacts and a record of regular employment that are essential in the long- term goal of qualifying for better work in time (Healey, 2003 p56).
The Need for Welfare Reform:

While elements of government assistance programs are still subject to epidemic abuse (Schmalleger, 2007 p104), the reconfiguration mandated by Congress in 1996 are designed to rectify some of the most glaring problems plaguing the federally administrated programs previously. First and foremost, the new state-run welfare programs must, by federal law, establish caps limiting welfare eligibility to discourage perpetual (even permanent) reliance on public funds as a substitute for making the necessary effort and commitment…...

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Bibliography

Healey, Joseph F. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Class: The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. London: Pine Forge (2003).

Henslin, James M. Essentials of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn & Bacon (2002).

Macionis, John J. Sociology 9th Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall (2003).

Schaefer, Richard T. Racial and Ethnic Groups. New York: Harper-Collins (2001).

1. The effectiveness of welfare programs in addressing poverty and inequality
2. The impact of welfare policies on recipients' self-sufficiency and independence
3. The debate over whether welfare benefits should be conditional on work requirements
4. Exploring the racial disparities in access to and outcomes of welfare programs
5. The role of government versus non-profit organizations in providing welfare services
6. The stigmatization of welfare recipients and its effects on social perception
7. Comparing welfare systems in different countries and their outcomes
8. The financial burden of welfare programs on taxpayers and potential solutions
9. The relationship between welfare assistance and....

Topic 1: The Evolution of Welfare Policy in the United States

Trace the historical development of welfare programs in the US, from their origins to modern iterations.
Analyze the shifting ideologies and social attitudes that have influenced welfare policy over time.
Examine the impact of political and economic factors on welfare reform efforts.

Topic 2: The Efficacy of Welfare Programs

Evaluate the effectiveness of welfare programs in reducing poverty and improving the well-being of recipients.
Analyze the trade-offs between providing assistance and promoting self-sufficiency.
Examine the role of welfare programs in promoting economic growth and social mobility.

Topic 3: The Social Stigma....