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Social Policy

Social Policy. Ch. 17. Who Deserves to Benefit?. Insistence that it be only those who cannot help themselves Slow, steady change in deserving/undeserving line Alternative view: fair share of national income; government redistribute money

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Social Policy

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  1. Social Policy Ch. 17

  2. Who Deserves to Benefit? • Insistence that it be only those who cannot help themselves • Slow, steady change in deserving/undeserving line • Alternative view: fair share of national income; government redistribute money • Preference to give services, not money, to help deserving poor

  3. Majoritarian Welfare Programs • Social Security Act of 1935 • Great Depression: local welfare relief was overwhelmed • Election of 1932: FDR and the Democrats • Legal and political roadblocks: was direct welfare unconstitutional? • Fear of a more radical movements (Huey Long and his “share our wealth”) • Medicare Act of 1965

  4. Reforming Majoritarian Welfare Programs • Social Security • Not enough paying into Social Security • 3 solutions: • Raise the retirement age to 70, freeze the size of retirement benefits, raise Social Security taxes • Privatize Social Security • Combine first two methods and allow individual investment in mutual funds

  5. Reforming Majoritarian Welfare Programs • Medicare • Problems: huge costs and inefficient • Possible solutions: • Get rid of Medicare and have doctors and hospitals work for government • Elderly take Medicare money and buy health insurance

  6. A Client Welfare Policy: AFDC • Aid to Families with Dependent Children • Scarcely noticed part of Social Security Act • Federal government permitted states to: • Define “need” • Set benefit levels • Administer program • New Programs (Food Stamps, free/reduced lunch) • Difficult to sustain political support • States complained about federal regulations • Public opinion turned against program • Composition of program participants changed

  7. 2 Kinds of Welfare • Majoritarian Politics: almost everybody pays and benefits • Social Security and Medicare • Client Politics: almost everybody pays, relatively few benefit • AFDC

  8. Save the Last Word for Me Take 20 – 25 minutes to read “Flat Broke with Children” in your Lanahan Reader (pg. 617)

  9. Save The Last Word For Me You will complete this “protocol” with your assigned group. Alex Anthony Bobbey Lauren G. Helen Victoria Trevor Hannah Kelly Emma Aaron Lucy KayDee Nathan David Avery

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