The History of Welfare in America Essays - 2746 Words

Welfare has been a safety net for many Americans, when the alternative for them is going without food and shelter. Over the years, the government has provided income for the unemployed, food assistance for the hungry, and health care for the poor. The federal government in the nineteenth century started to provide minimal benefits for the poor. During the twentieth century the United States federal government established a more substantial welfare system to help Americans when they most needed it. In 1996, welfare reform occurred under President Bill Clinton and it significantly changed the structure of welfare. Social Security has gone through significant change from FDR’s signing of the program into law to President George W. Bush’s†¦show more content†¦In his State of the Union speech on January 4, 1935, President Roosevelt told Congress that it was necessary to create federal unemployment and old-age pension program, as well as benefits for single mothers a nd poor children. On August 18, 1935, President Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act. This was a federal retirement program for people over the age of sixty-five, and it also created unemployment insurance. In 1936, Aid to Families with Dependent Children was created to provide money to single mothers with children. In 1964, Congress approved a food stamp program to low income households. In 1965, Medicaid was created to provide health insurance for the poor, elderly, and disabled. In 1974, the Supplemental Security Income program was established. In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed a law and President Clinton signed it, which gave the states primary control regarding welfare, ending sixty-one years of federal control (Trattner 273-304). Over the years, welfare programs have often been criticized. Critics of the welfare program argue too many people abuse the program. They state people who are not actively looking for work should not be receiving welfare checks. Critics cite the classic example of the unemployed mother who is receiving food stamps and monthly social security unemployment benefits as a serious problem to the welfare system. The program which received the most criticism was Aid toShow MoreRelated Politics and Poverty Essay1237 Words   |  5 Pagescombat poverty. Throughout history, how America combats poverty has changed depending on what party is running the government. There has been a number of different parties however, Republican, Democrat, The Bull Moose Party, and other various ones. However, these views can be put into two main categories: The Liberal ideology and the Conservative ideology. There are three areas, which have broad and differing views on how to combat poverty. Those three being, Welfare, Social Security, and TaxesRead MoreChild Welfare Services Essay1439 Words   |  6 Pagesresearch about is Child Welfare Services. This topic has a variety of different regulations and forms that makes this program run. Child Welfare Services have been around for quite some time and has been helping out as much as they are allowed to. This program has a time line of many important events that all build up the Child Welfare program. First off in 1909 the white house had the first national Conference on the Care of Dependent Children (Child Welfare League of America, n.d.). These were actuallyRead MoreWelfare Policy And The American Government1162 Words   |  5 Pages Welfare Policy Lana Eliot Sociology 320 Professor Mentor March 26, 2016 When a person first hears the word welfare, they think of free money, food and lazy people. This is such a stereotyped opinion of all that the welfare system is and what it does for millions of individuals and families in the United States. To socially define welfare one could view it as a: social effort designed to promote the basic physical and material well-being of people in need† (dictionary.com). BecauseRead MoreThe Welfare System Makes People Dependent Essay1129 Words   |  5 PagesThe Welfare System Makes People Dependent One of the many reasons why America is called â€Å"The Land of Opportunity† is because its citizens can move up in socio-economic status through hard work and dedication. However, when U.S. citizens fall on hard times, government-established programs offer financial assistance. The history of welfare reform reveals that the question of personal responsibility versus assistance to those in need has been a constant in the debate over welfare. In the 1950sRead MoreSeveral Cases of Violence Against Children1030 Words   |  5 Pagesthe okay. What we are doing in this instance can be in my eyes considered child abuse right on, or at a minimal contribution to future child abuse when these teen mothers ill-treat these unwanted babies. The government has established Medicaid and Welfare for these teenagers to support and have these babies. It is not until it is too late when these babies find out what all is entailed in having a child. These babies are being put at risk for child abuse because the young mothers are stressed out.Read MoreRoots Of Us Prisons843 Words   |  4 PagesRoots of US Jails The European jailing system was the method used by early English settlers for America; at the time the colonists first arrived in this country, all the knowledge they had come from England, France, and Holland, so it only made sense to develop a justice system that they were familiar with and then change it along the way. The earliest concept of common law included a set of rules that were designed to help with problem solving throughout society; these ideas were drawn upon in makingRead MoreCombating Poverty in America: Time For a Change1134 Words   |  5 PagesPresident Johnson is well known for making major policy reform in order to combat poverty. Welfare, a social program designed to combat poverty, has been a controversial issue for many years and has been reformed under the Clinton and Bush administrations. In 1996 President Bill Clinton brought welfare reform to congress with help from the Republican Party. Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole led the reform action. President Clin ton vetoed the first two bills presented, but later proposed a third versionRead MoreHistory And Analysis Of Social Welfare1246 Words   |  5 PagesHistory and Analysis of Social Welfare From the colonialization of America to the present, social welfare has evolved tremendously. American values during each era helped determine how the poor were to be treated. Values such as Puritan work ethic, felt that if you were not working then you were immoral. Two other values that were prominent in American’s history are individualism and capitalism. Individualism is the belief that one can succeed without the help of others while the capitalistic viewRead MoreEssay on Intro to Human Services1296 Words   |  6 Pages1 Describe human services from the early 1900s to the present day. 2 Throughout History Human Services made a big impact and a difference in our society as we know it today. Through the sociological era in the 1900s many were faced with challenges such as financial support for the poor and no support or guidance for the children, developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. Human Services make positive and lasting differences in peoples lives, and they help improve the world. The earlyRead MoreThe Childhood Of Fatherless Homes1196 Words   |  5 PagesFatherless Homes What happens to the fatherless child? Will this child be afforded the same opportunities as a child raised in a two parent homes? The growing epidemic of fatherless homes in America is a vastly growing trend. How far back through out American History can we trace this epidemic? Is there a close correlation between the absence of the father in the home, and likely hood of a child growing up to be a criminal? My primary focus will be on the affect this issue has on African American