Federal Welfare Research Paper

Words: 1378
Pages: 6

Welfare programs were initially put into place during the early twentieth century in the United States. Theodore Roosevelt started a movement that helped single mothers and their children; the “mother’s pension” programs were effective in all but two states by 1933. The next flow of federal welfare was introduced during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Franklin D. Roosevelt strived to give Americans the jobs they lost from the dramatic economic downfall. Federal welfare expanded coverage and regulations until the 1980s with many critics. Some believed that not enough people were being put to work, while others thought federal welfare should be nonexistent. Until Bill Clinton’s presidency, welfare was primarily handled by the federal government; …show more content…
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program that gives money to families living in poverty. Medicaid is health care for low-income adults and children; the Affordable Care Act increased coverage by 28 percent. Child’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is in addition to Medicaid, it provides children with preventive care like dental check-ups and eye exams. Food Stamps is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), issued to help feed those in poverty. The Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is assistance for pregnant women and children up to age six. Housing Assistance is provided to those who are not able to afford to pay more than 30 percent of their income on rent; this was previously known as the Section 8 Housing Program. There are many qualifications and application processes to receive the benefits of these government …show more content…
During the 1990s, unemployment fell to an unexpected 4 percent by the end of the decade. Unemployment rates were historically low for African Americans and Hispanic Americans. The improvement of labor market increased the number of the “working poor” instead of moving people off welfare due to the economic boom that occurred at the same time (Blank, 2001). This is due to the introduction of more low wage jobs that coincides with economic expansion. Even when the economy is doing well, it will not always be able to remove people from government benefits. Social welfare programs act as insurance for the cycle of the country’s economy. The insurance of welfare is beneficial to all citizens when an economic crisis occurs as the assistance is available to Americans that are approved after the application process. Welfare has historically been the safety net to save those from struggling even more in a terrible economic