This document discusses poverty and social welfare programs in America. It notes that the poverty line is defined as $24,000 for a family of four in 2014. Groups most likely to be in poverty include children, single-parent families headed by females, minority groups, and those living in rural or inner-city areas. While some argue poverty is a choice, most of the poor are in poverty due to circumstances beyond their control. The U.S. has many social welfare programs, but they are inefficient with overlapping eligibility rules and a large bureaucracy to monitor them. Education is seen as a path to equal opportunity, but U.S. students perform only moderately compared to other nations despite high spending on schools.

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Chapter 16

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Poverty in America:
The Nature of the Problem
The poor: who and how many?
The poverty line: annual cost of a thrifty food budget for an
urban family of four, multiplied by three
 $24,000 in 2014
Children; single-parent families headed by females
Minority-group members
Rural and inner-city dwellers
Major differences by state

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Poverty in America:
The Nature of the Problem
Living in poverty: by choice or by chance?
Charles Murray and Losing Ground
Many Americans believe poverty is a choice
Most poor are in poverty as result of circumstance

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Politics and Policies
of Social Welfare
Social insurance programs
Widely supported by public
 Heavily funded
 Benefits to individuals of all income levels
 Seen as an earned entitlement
Social security
Unemployment insurance
Medicare

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Politics and Policies
of Social Welfare
Public assistance programs
Less public support
 Receive less funding
 Restricted to people of low income
 Seen as a hand-out
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Head Start
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

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Politics and Policies
of Social Welfare
Public assistance programs
In-kind benefits: food stamps and housing vouchers
Medicaid
The SCHIP program
The 2010 Health Care Reform Act

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Politics and Policies
of Social Welfare
Culture and social welfare
U.S. has the most inefficient welfare system in the Western
world
 Scores of separate programs that may overlap
 Large bureaucracy needed to monitor eligibility
Inequity
 Social security and Medicare: many high-income earners
receive benefits

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Education as Equality of Opportunity
America’s heavy investment in public education
Goal is equality of opportunity
Federal grants-in-aid
1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the
cornerstone of the federal government’s public-school
efforts
The 1965 Higher Education Act
 Pell Grants
 Federal loans

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Education as Equality of Opportunity
Improving America’s schools
American students not high performers relative to other
advanced countries, though America spends very highly on
education
Inequality of wealth in communities

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Education as Equality of Opportunity
Mandatory high-stakes testing
No Child Left Behind
 Controversial increase in weight on testing
Race to the Top
 Competition that rewards performance and innovation
Partisan conflict over education policy
Federal spending
School choice

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The American Way of Promoting
the General Welfare
Democracy and economic security
The American way of welfare
Differences between the European and American
approach

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