1. Social Welfare Policymaking
Chapter 18

2. Social Welfare Programs
Two Main Types: Entitlement Programs: Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need. -Social Security -Medicare Means-tested Programs: Government programs only available to individuals below the poverty line. -TANF -Medicaid

3. Social Welfare Programs
Social Security: Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Social Security is funded through payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and/or Self Employed Contributions Act Tax (SECA). Income derived from Social Security is currently estimated to keep roughly 20% of all Americans, age 65 or older, above the federally defined poverty level.

4. Social Welfare Programs
Social Security Trust Funds: Tax deposits are collected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and are formally entrusted to the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, or the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.

5. Social Welfare Programs
The people who are working now, pay for those who are collecting Social Security now.

6. Social Welfare Programs
Ponzi Scheme: a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned by the operator.

7. Income, Poverty, and Public Policy
Income: Amount of funds collected between any two points in time. Wealth: Amount of assets already owned.

8. Income, Poverty, and Public Policy

9. The Demographics of Poverty
Poverty Line:
What a family must spend for an
“austere” standard of living.
In 2013 a family of three has a
poverty line of just over $19,350.
Many people move in and out of
poverty in a year’s time.
There are high rates of poverty
among unmarried women.

10. 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 higher percentage of their income than the rich

11. 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.

12. Government Policies

13. The Great Depression and the New Deal
The Great Depression led many citizens to want the government to help protect against economic downturns and causes of poverty beyond their control.
The Social Security Act of was the first major step by the federal government to help protect people against absolute poverty.

14. The Great Society
Johnson declared a “war on poverty.” Medicare, school-aid programs and welfare were created. Other programs were designed to provide training and jobs, not just transfer payments.

15. Reagan and Changes to Welfare
Reagan played a lead role in getting attention on benefit programs. Many programs had benefits reduced, and people were removed from benefit rolls. Democrats worked to prevent cuts and protect the truly poor.

16. The Welfare Reform Act
Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The new program put a 5 year limit on the amount of time a person could receive benefits. It also gave the states money in a block grant to run their own welfare programs.

17. The Future of Social Security and Medicare
Social Security is running out of money
There are several plans to improve Social Security’s
financial future
Cut benefits
Raise the retirement age
Raise tax rates
Allow people to invest on their own

18. The Future of Social Security and Medicare
The Social Security system is second only to national defense as America’s most costly public policy. The growing demands to care for the elderly will almost certainly become more severe in the decades ahead.

19. The Future of Social Welfare Policy
Programs for the poor are not as popular as programs for the elderly. The percentage of people in poverty has not changed significantly since the 1960’s. But there is little agreement on if the programs help people in poverty or not.

20. The Future of Social Welfare Policy
Social Welfare Policy Elsewhere - Many industrialized nations have much more extensive social welfare programs than the U.S. - But the tax rates are higher in those countries than in the U.S. - Other countries (especially in the EU) are reforming their welfare programs. - Cuts to social programs are called “austerity measures.”