Dbq Child Labor

During the Great Depression, many middle and upper- income families first faced poverty in America. They were hard-working people who pursued the values and ideals of American dream and lived comfortably until several downturn of the American economy. Thousands of banks had failed and millions of Americans were unemployed that they were looking for work but couldn’t find it. Many of Americans became homeless and breadlines and soup kitchens were widely spread through the towns and cities.
In fact, the Great Depression severely impacted the poverty of vulnerable populations; children, older Americans, minorities, female-headed families, people with disabilities, famers, and workers with unstable or low-paying jobs. Especially, poverty among

the old people grew dramatically that many American elders struggled with insufficient income. As a result, Americans increasingly demanded the federal government to take greater responsible for reliving and preventing poverty. The Roosevelt Administration established several federal agencies and programs. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) is one of them and was created by the Federal Emergency Relief Act in 1932 that the relief funds were used to sustain unemployed families during the economic crisis.
Moreover, the New Deal programs emphasized for immediate relief, economic recovery, and financial reform to response to the Great Depression. The New Deal provided many employment opportunities through a major federal health and human service system in addition to the services of local public and private agencies. The New Deal helped to increase the social, economic, and political functions of the welfare state. The New Deal programs helped families to function more fully and effectively by compensating millions of people for income lost due to old age, illness, disability, joblessness, and absence of parental support. The programs also provided an array of health, education, housing, employment, and social services. The resulting redistribution of resources downward reduced poverty and inequality.
In addition, the Great Depression had greatly impacted the social security program that the original Social Security Act. was signed into law in 1935, later became the United Stated Department of Health, Education , and Welfare. The act had influence the development of several programs to provide Americans with unemployment, disability, and pensions for old age. In fact, Social Security Act is foundation of the American health and human service system. Since the Great Depression and the New Deal, social reform has become a major focus of social work and social services.
• Consider such periods as the New Deal, the controversy over child labor laws etc. and the rise of neo-liberal economics during the late 20th century.
In nineteenth century, reformers sought to restrict child labor and improve working condition.

The New Deal greatly influenced the American Labor Movement through the federal laws and benefited to child labor reform. Child laborers often worked to help support their families, but were forced to forgo an education during this period. The New Deal brought significant federal regulation to preventing and reducing child labor in the U. S. In early twenties century, child labor began to decline as the labor and reform movements grew and improve labor standards. Also, there was increasing the political power of working people and other social reformers to demand legislation regulating child labor.
Since the mid-1970s when US economy fell into serious economic crisis, neoliberalism has significantly impacted on US social policy, the delivery of social services, and social work practice. Neoliberalism is a policy model of social studies and economics that transfers control of economic factors to the private sector from the public sector. Neoliberals emphasized for extensive economic liberalization and policies with extending rights and abilities of the private sector over the public sector, specifically decreasing of state and government power over the

economy.
As a result, neoliberalism support deregulation, free trade, privatization, and reduced government spending. Furthermore, neoliberal economic theory of the welfare state differs from the New Deal/Great Society tradition in democratic politics that neoliberalism focuses on to minimize public expenditures for social services. We can clearly see the effects of neoliberalism in the United Sates that “the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer”. Neoliberalism created great economic hardship as more and more poor and working-class families earned low-income they needed to buy food, housing, health services, and childcare.
2.

Using your knowledge of the concepts of universally-based social services verses needs-based social provision
• Describe, using your knowledge of programs such as Medicare, Social Security, TANF etc.,
Medicare was established in 1965. It covers most health care costs for persons 65 and older and disabled Social Security beneficiaries. It financed through a payroll tax and wages and premiums paid by recipients and general tax revenues. Medicare is divided into three programs, each with its own costs, premiums, and coverage: Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance), and Par D (Prescription Drug Coverage).
Social Security was established in 1935 by the Social Security Act and is the largest social welfare program in the United Sates. It is a mandatory insurance system that holds a FICA tax on worker payrolls and matches these funds with employer contributions that are kept in a trust fund that pays retirement pensions based on prior earnings in the labor market. The social security system was designed to supplement private saving and pensions. When each worker reaches retirement age, currently 66 for those born 1943-1954, the monthly pensions from Social Security fund to be paid. Over 90% of retired workers receive retirement pensions under this

policy.
TANF was established in 1996. It replaced the previous welfare policy, Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC). It is a federal income maintenance program for children under 18 and their adult caregivers. TANF provides cash grant and Medicaid eligibility for no more than 5 years in a person’s life time. The program requires participation in training or work mandated by the states.
• Compare the benefits/disadvantages of each type of social provision (universal vs. needs based).
Medicare helps elderly persons to maintain their health and prevents many near-poor elderly persons from falling into poverty by meeting their medical cost. Medicare can be used through any private health care providers and Hospitals. However, there are disadvantages with Medicare health system including, the increasing premiums, the high cost of the supplementary drug plan, and the need for supplemental insurance that must purchase from the private insurance companies. Medicare uses a high-cost health care system that contributes to the inflation of health care costs.
Social Security is the most important social welfare policies. It provides monthly income to retiree, their families, surviving spouses, children whose parents have died and people with disabilities. However, there is a requirement to receive social security that needs 40 credits. Some will never receive the benefits because their earning history does not reach a sufficient amount to qualify. Others who are unlikely to receive Social Security include immigrants who arrive in the country late in life, and those who do not have a steady work history.
TANF provides financial help to women and children under 18 who are economically insecure. This program provides services to help parents care for their children’s needs. Those who qualify for TANF can receive a cash grant, along with Medicaid eligibility. All adults use TANF requires to participate in work or training programs mandated by the states to improve overall financial situations. However, participants can only receive TANF for 5 years in their life time. TANF can only assist most legal immigrants until they have been in the United States for at least five years. Poor children with non-citizen parents are ineligible for TANF benefits and services.
3. Conservative pundits such as Charles Murray have argued that the War on Poverty and other anti-poverty programs/legislation are a failure and are to blame for poverty today.
• Tracing the poverty rate from the late 1950s to present, and
In the late 1950s, the poverty rate was 22.4 percent, and 1960s. In 1970s, the poverty rate was low as 11.1 percent but in 1980s, the poverty rate was increased again up to 15.2 percent. Between 1993 and 2000, the poverty rate fell each year, reaching 11.3 percent. Since 2000, the poverty rate has slowly increased, peaking at 15.1 percent in 2010 and remaining relatively stable. In 2014, 14.8 percent of Americans lived in poverty.
• Delineate and describe several War on Poverty/anti-poverty programs including (but not limited to) Medicare, SNAP, Medicaid etc.,
War on Poverty implemented numerous programs that improve the American quality of life, especially for people who struggle to make ends meet. The Amendments of Social Security in 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were created to help the costs of health care for the elderly. War on poverty provided access to the affordable care, especially hospital treatment, has improved for seniors to live healthy and longer. Medicare reduces individuals’ risk of financial lost due to high medical cost in old age. Additionally, Medicare significantly reduced out-of- pocket medical expenditures for seniors that increased their real incomes. Medicaid program is also reduced financial hardship for people who fell below the poverty line.
The Food Stamp program Act brought the Food Stamp program became permanent. As a result, the establishment of the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children helped improving in the diets of the poor during the late 1960 and into the mid-1970s.
• Discuss whether this argument (programs are to blame for poverty today) is accurate.
The poverty rate remained relatively consistent since 1960 that most conservatives blame on government policies. Charles Murray argued that welfare policies made poverty worse. He believes that welfare payments were making people dependent on the welfare programs and putting them in poverty. He supported that to discourage people from staying on welfare and forcing them onto the job market is the best solution for decreasing the poverty rate.
However, conservatives were wrong about poverty being largely caused by government welfare programs. The poverty rate was not decreased with the reduction of welfare rolls on the poverty level. The major problem of poverty was a country’s economic system. Most people were poor because there was a chronic lack of jobs and many low-skilled jobs pay wages below poverty level. Therefore, Charles Murray’ argument about the War on Poverty and other anti-poverty programs/legislation are a failure and are to blame for poverty today is not accurate.