Welfare State Case Study

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1. Explain the welfare state. For many years, private charities, along with local governments, have cared for the poor through a multitude of economic security programs. These programs comprised the welfare state that sought to enact policies (after the Great Depression) in order to promote economic security for all Americans.

2. What is the history of the social welfare system? The welfare system has been prominent throughout history, however in the past, it was based off of a charity system, whereby individuals would volunteer their generosity. The social welfare system also distinguishes between the two classes of poor: deserving (orphans and widows) and undeserving (unwilling to work). Before the Great Depression, private charity was …show more content…

How does the government open opportunity? Economic security programs (within the welfare state) aim to provide equality of opportunity. These opportunistic programs focus on stopping individuals from falling into poverty, granting them the opportunity to use their talents to the fullest. There are three policies that aid in opening opportunity: housing policies, education policies, and health policies.

11. Analyze education policies. The public’s education is mostly provided by state and local government public policies. These policies are especially important to the distribution and redistribution of opportunity. Several policies and organizations have ameliorated the education process by changing the schooling system to educate more individuals. After Sputnik, America heightened its science and mathematics programs to compete with the Soviet Union. The federal government has also used education to promote equality of opportunity (through its support of racial desegregation). During the Reagan administration, the government focused on the pursuit of higher standards, rather than equality of opportunity. The government has also funded higher education and opened more doors to Americans to achieve a plethora of educational …show more content…

When the government provides elders with medical case, they relieve the middle class from the burden of caring for their relatives, through medical bill payments. Both classes also benefit from the welfare state (social benefits provided by company employers). The federal government ensures social welfare through tax expenditures, whereby benefits are subsidized and the employer employee payments are not taxed. Tax expenditures allow the government to finance these classes without utilizing direct spending. These expenditures are costly to the government, however they make home ownership less expensive, which benefits society as a whole. Congress has tried to limit several programs, although their popularity trumps Congress’s

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