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Welfare Reform Research Paper

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Abusing the System Ronald Reagan states, “We should measure welfare’s success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added” (qtd. in BrainyQuotes). Welfare’s success today is not being measured by how many people are leaving welfare, but how many are needing assistance. The problem is that recipients of welfare are being added by the minute, and none of them are willing to leave the program because of the benefits it provides. The United States Constitution states the federal government should provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare, but the case is that many recipients are abusing the program (Couch np). Welfare abuse is increasing greatly. Many Americans are abusing it by misusing the money, providing …show more content…

The system is a legal arrangement where the government provides assistance like shelter, food, healthcare and education to citizens in need (Couch np). The program is extended into further programs that include, Medicaid, WIC Program, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (Couch np). Before welfare became a federal program, welfare was originally a state program. The history of welfare can be tracked to the Progressive Era 1890-1920 and the Great Depression 1929-1939. The roles and responsibilities of the federal government changed drastically during the Progressive Era (Couch np). Rapid changes after the Civil War brought the need for economic, social and political reforms. Before the Progressive Era, the federal government had little involvement in the welfare of the American people. During the Progressive Era, state government began assisting citizens in need. In 1926, forty states created a reform plan to help mothers and dependent children (Couch np). A few states also gave cash assistance to the elderly during 1926 (Couch np). The roles and responsibilities of the state government had suddenly evolved. The Progressive Era was a time of political and economic transformation in the United …show more content…

By 1933, another 13 million Americans had been thrown out of work. During the Great Depression, state programs collapsed due to the numerous requests for help from individuals struggling to survive (Couch np). The federal government quickly provided support for state programs by passing the Emergency Relief and Construction Act of 1932 (Couch np). A year after President Hoover passed these programs, President Franklin Roosevelt took office and quickly proposed and signed the Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) (Couch np). The Federal Emergency Relief Act enables the government to distribute $1 billion to state relief programs (Elliot np). Seven months later, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. The Social Security Act established three types of programs designed to provide economic protection for a variety of people (Elliot np). The program consisted of temporary assistance to the unemployed, a retirement program for the elderly, and a public-assistance program for the impaired and disabled.. The Works Progress Administration also put into place to help unemployed citizens find jobs (Elliot np). The new reforms of President Roosevelt included new initiatives to help those in property. With millions of people unemployed during the Great Depression, welfare assistance was beyond the finical resources

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