Government Programs designed to improve quality of life. Social Welfare Policy Government Programs designed to improve quality of life.

Theories of Public Policy Elite Theory- The chosen few or elite make all – important decisions in society Pluralist Theory- Simply too many interest for any one interest to dominate. (Elitist theory is impossible) Interest Group Theory- grouped with pluralists, recognizing the priority of one particular set of goods. Interest groups are the key actor because of this. Bureaucratic Theory- Complex world of bureaucracy empowers bureaucrats because we can’t see all that goes on within a certain area of policy

Policy Making Process Recognition Agenda Setting Policy Formation Policy Adoption Budgeting Implementation Evaulation

Recognition Acknowledging and defining a problem Government Responsibilities Child abuse throughout the ages Defining the Problem Transportation of people with disablities Transportation problem or Civil Rights Problem? Defined as a Civil Rights Problem Americans with Disabilities Act

Agenda Setting Systematic Agenda Governmental Agenda A discussion agenda of all issues that are seen as meriting public attention Governmental Agenda Only problems to which legislators or public officials are obliged to devote serious time too Who decides what gets on the Agenda for public policy?

Policy Formulation Crafting of appropriate and acceptable courses of action to ameliorate or resolve a public problem Who does this? All of the actors in the Political Spectrum Policy Adoption- How a bill becomes a Law

Budgeting Some times policies are not funded or under funded so they cannot function Housing and Urban Development only has funds to provide 20% of the eligible low income families rent subsidies

Policy Implementation The process of carrying out public policy through governmental agencies and courts 4 Techniques Authoritative Incentive Capacity Hortatory

Policy Evaluation The process of determining whether a course of action is achieving its intended goals GAO- Government Accountability Office

Social Welfare Policy Most Social Welfare Programs are creatures of the 20th century During the 1890s and early 1900s, Most people assumed that poor people were lazy After the Great depression, the Government saw this was not the case and leaped into action

3 Areas of Social Welfare Policy Income Security Health Care Public Education

Income Security Protect people against loss of income due to retirement, disability, unemployment, or death of family 2 Types of Income Security Means Based Non-Means Based

Social Insurance: Non Means Based Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Social Security- Not a pension program but a tax system Considered a regressive tax People making over 127,200 do not pay the tax on the amount they make after this figure Social Security has a problem. More people are retiring while fewer are working

Government Policies Progressive tax: people with higher incomes pay a greater percentage. Proportional tax: all people pay the same percentage of their income. Regressive tax: the poor pay a higher percentage of their income than the rich 14

Social Insurance- Means Tested Program SSI- Supplementary Security Income Single- 735.00 and Couple- 1,103 Aid to families with Dependent Children Monetary benefits given to single women Average women on AFDC was on the program for less than a year, white, and had one child EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) To those who qualify it provides an average of 1500 dollars credit on income taxes Single-$12,880 ($15,880 if married filing jointly) With One Child- $33,995 ($36,995 if married filing jointly) Food Stamps To those who qualify it is about 100 dollars a month in stamps for those whose average family income is less than about 1700

Income, Poverty, and Public Policy 125% of Poverty Line for family of four is $28,800 Equals less than $20 per day, per family member From this amount all food, clothing, medical and entertainment costs must be paid Average rent in the U.S. is $804, when subtracting this amount, this family must survive on $13 per day, per person. 16

Government Policies Government Expenditures. Transfer payments: benefits given by the government directly to individuals Some transfer benefits are actual money. Other transfer benefits are “in kind” benefits where recipients get a benefit without receiving actual money. Some are entitlement programs, others are means- tested. 17

Effectiveness of Income Security You decide

Health Care Medicare- Covers people who receive Social Security benefits Financed by about a 1.45 percent tax paid by employers and employees Medicaid- provides medical care to the poor including hospitalization, physicians services, prescription, and long term nursing care to all who are covered under SSI and ADFC Jointly financed by the states and the National Government

Public Education In 2014 634 billion was spent on Public Education 48.7 percent from the States, 42.8 percent by Local Governments and 8.5 from National Government No Child Left Behind- Government takes a more direct role in education

Inequality in School Districts States financed schools through Property taxes. Many people have a problem with this process because they believe it is unequal. Already ruled unconstitutional in a number of states. Fix? Voucher Plans and Charter School Debate