Social Welfare in the united States

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Social Welfare in the united States
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I. What is Social Welfare?

• Social welfare policies provide benefits to
  individuals.
• Entitlement Programs
• government benefits that certain qualified
  individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of
  need
• Also known as social insurance programs, since
  people typically pay into them and later get
  money back.
• ex. Social Security Medicare
• Means-tested programs
• government programs only available to individuals
  below a poverty line.
• These programs generate powerful political
  controversy
• Ex. Food Stamps

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Whos Getting What in America?
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II. Americas Poor

• Deserving Poor
• People whose impoverished situation is out of
  their control
• Undeserving Poor
• People who have created the problems that have
  led to their poverty
• The Poverty Rate
• The percentage of people who earn an income at or
  below the poverty threshold
• 2005 12.6 Poverty Rate in the United States.
• Feminization of Poverty
• The poverty rate among unmarried women is
  increasing at an increasing rate.

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III. Governments Role

• Taxation
• Progressive Tax
• people with higher incomes pay a greater share
• Proportional Tax
• all people pay the same share of their income
• Regressive Tax
• burden falls relatively more heavily on
  low-income groupsopposite of a progressive tax
• Earned Income Tax Credit
• negative income tax
• provides income to very poor people in lieu of
  charging them income tax

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• Government Expenditures
• Transfer Payments
• benefits given by the government directly to
  individuals
• Some transfer benefits are actual money, such as
  social security - entitlements
• Other transfer benefits are in kind benefits
  where recipients get a benefit without getting
  actual money, such as food stamps - means tested