Article Writing Homework Help

Provide a 2 pages analysis while answering the following question: Welfare Reform. Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide. An abstract is required. Welfare Reform A plan or scheme of the through which the government endows money, services any other assistance to its needy residents is a system of welfare program. This programme may be thought as a wealth distribution programme to the poor who are unable to support themselves and their families, financed through the fund of the tax payers.

In 1930, the period of Great Depression in US economy, the US government started to think how to support the needy individuals and families. The government formed a welfare scheme to assist the residents of US. Then for almost next six decades the Federal government took this scheme in its hand until 1990. Criticisms increased as the intellectuals found that many American actually was taking advantages from this programme by many ways, such as they would not like to apply for jobs, engaged to have more children to get more benefit and would not like to get married for getting more aid etc. It was 1996 when finally President Clinton signed the law passed by the Republican-majority Congress that ultimately gave the key of controlling welfare system back to the states. (Zuckerman, 2004. Rector, 1995)

In this new system all the necessary information regarding the income level (gross and net), size of the family, homelessness, unemployment, etc., are collected to determine the type and amount of benefits that applicant is eligible to get. (US welfare system – “Help for US citizens”’. 2010)

For applying a welfare program a person must contact the local Human Service Department for getting appointment with a case worker who is responsible to give a list of desired documents such as income proof, ID, utility bills, other residency proof etc. After reviewing all these details the case worker determine eligibility of an applicant. (‘US welfare system – “Help for US citizens”’. 2010)

Welfare-to-Work initiative programme unfortunately stopped in 2004 that provided financial assistance in exchange for work. TANF program has been reapproved in 2005. The common welfare services, such as Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid are still there in the system. Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) has also been proposed to offer to less-income families for financial stability. (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2005)

Kay Hagan is the democratic senator of North Carolina while Richard Burr is the republican senator of the district. (Issues 2000, 2010) Virginia Foxx is the representative of North Carolina. (Contacting the Congress, 2010)

Kay Hagan has addressed the crucial component of welfare reforms, that is, “making healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone” (Senator Kay R. Hagan 2008). He ensured that children received the coverage for healthcare with the help of state funds. Virginia Foxx however opposes to this kind of health care reforms and says that Americans usually have healthcare. She has also been criticized for introducing race as a propagated concept. (Benen, 2009)

The welfare system run by the Fed was not efficiently executed because many people who did not require any financial support from the state, took advantage of the flaw of the system. For that many people who actually required the support from the welfare system did not get the benefit. However, abolishing the welfare system is not a pragmatic sign and it may hurt the societal thoughts.

However, one thing is important here. To promote the welfare system, a proper taxation system is necessary. So it should always keep in mind that to promote present welfare government should not allow putting the future generation under the burden of taxation so that the future has to pay the ultimate opportunity cost of the present welfare system.

References

1. Benen, S. (2009), Political Animal, Washington monthly, available at: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_09/019950.php (accessed on March 14, 2010)

2. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, (2005) BRIEF GUIDE TO 2005 TANF REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION, available at: http://www.cbpp.org/files/4-21-05tanf.pdf (accessed on March 14, 2010)

3. Contacting the Congress. (2010). Information on Representative Virginia Foxx of Congressional District number 5 of North Carolina, available at: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NC05&site=ctc (accessed on March 14, 2010)

4. Issues 2000. (2010). Select a state to see Senate races for 2010, available at: http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Senate.htm (accessed on March 14, 2010)

5. Senator Kay R. Hagan (2008), Project Vote Smart, available at: http://www.votesmart.org/speech_detail.php?sc_id=356385&keyword=&phrase=&contain= (accessed on March 14, 2010)

6. Rector, R. (December 4, 1995),”Why Congress must reform welfare”, The Heritage Foundation, available at: http://www.heritage.org/research/welfare/bg1063.cfm (accessed on March 14, 2010)

7. ‘US welfare system – “Help for US citizens”’. (2010), Welfare Information, available at: http://www.welfareinfo.org/ (accessed on March 14, 2010)

8. Zuckerman, D. ( 2004), “Welfare Reform in America: A Clash of Politics and Research”, Poverty & Welfare, National Research Center for Women & Families, Available at: http://www.center4research.org/poverty3.