1. Politics in States and Communities (15 Ed.)
Thomas Dye and Susan MacManus

2. The Politics of Poverty, Welfare, and Health
Chapter 17
The Politics of Poverty, Welfare, and Health
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3. Learning Objectives
Describe the extent to which Americans live in poverty, and compare poverty rates among the states.
Establish the link between poverty rates and demographic characteristics, including family structure race, ethnicity, and age; and describe how poverty rates have been impacted by the Great Recession.
Outline the various government programs that provide assistance to families to help combat or avoid poverty.
Evaluate why Americans are conflicted about welfare policy, and describe how the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program works.
Outline the various policies enacted by the federal, state, and local governments to provide health care to certain Americans.
Describe the efforts by state government to expand health insurance to more Americans and to reign in health care costs.
Outline the policies established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and explain why so many Americans dislike the law.
Explain the responsibilities given to states for implementing the Affordable Care Act, and discuss the efforts by some states to weaken or repeal the law.
Describe the role of the federal and state governments in protecting citizens suffering from mental health issues, and evaluate whether or not these measures have been effective.
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4. Poverty in America How Many Poor?
Episodic Poverty: Poverty conditions that are temporary; hard times occurring for a brief time.
Chronic Poverty: Permanent, persistent poverty conditions.
Official Poverty Rate: The percentage of the population whose annual cash income falls below that which is required, according to the federal government, to maintain a decent standard of living.
Variations among the States
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5. Who Are the Poor?
Family Structure Feminization of poverty: The concept that poverty is most common among female-headed families.
Race/Ethnicity Minorities are generally poorer than whites.
Age The aged experience less poverty than the younger population.
Wealth Income, not wealth, is considered while calculating poverty.
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6. Poverty in America
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7. Poverty Rates
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8. Poverty in America
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9. An Overview of Welfare Policy
Social Security
Unemployment Compensation
Supplemental Security Income
Family Assistance
Food Stamps (SNAP)
Earned Income Tax Credit
Other Social Programs
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10. Social Welfare for Everyone
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11. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and Medicaid Recipients
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12. Welfare Reform
Officially, it refers to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program enacted in 1996, which included the “devolution” of responsibility for cash assistance programs to the states.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Federal aid for state programs of cash assistance to poor families. It replaced the AFDC federal entitlement program.
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13. Health Care Community Public Health and Hospitals Medicare Medicaid
Medicaid in the States
Medicaid Expansion
SCHIP
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14. Is Welfare Reform a Success?
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15. Stimulus to Health Care Reform
State reforms: About 60 percent of Medicaid patients now in managed care plans
Managed care: Many programs resemble Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
Massachusetts mandated health insurance: Was first state; served as model for “ObamaCare”
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16. ObamaCare: Health Care Transformation
Provisions
Individual Mandate
Employer Mandate
Medicaid Expansion
Health Insurance Exchanges
Taxes
No “Public Option”
Costs
Coverage
Tort Reform Missing
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17. The States and “ObamaCare”
State compliance with Medicaid expansion: Supreme Court said state participation optional; federal funding a strong incentive
State participation in exchanges: Federal government stepping in when states choose not to participate
States lose their challenge to the individual mandate: Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of federal government
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18. Best Way to Reduce Mass Murders
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19. On the Web
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration
The Children’s Defense Fund
White House Health Reform page
Medicare
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