Question in (sociology of poverty)
psychology123
FinalQuestion5.pptxPerspectives of poverty
Question 5 from from Lectures and Williams
1
Question 5
Critically discuss the background factors/conditions that led up to the 1996 Welfare Reform. Be sure to also discuss, the stereotypical image of welfare recipients; the deficit; the Contract with America; tax expenditures for business and the hidden welfare for the affluent; coded messages, etc.
Economic Factors
Period of global capitalism
Budget deficit-reach near $350B
Need to reduce budget therefore look at the programs that need to be taken away
Shifted the merits and benefits of individual programs therefore there was policy change
There are many programs to pay for therefore have to look at changing the existing policies. Old policies have to be modified or reduced.
Scared to make new policies because it could cost more money
Political Factors
Republicans have the house and senate: first time in 40 years.
Anticipate larger numbers in the party therefore did not do any policy change in welfare until after the election
Once republicans control congress, they start focusing on welfare
Contract with America legislation (Contract on Black Americans)
Redistribute goods and services
New criteria to determine who gets what from the government
Spending reduction in social services
Education, job training, employment, housing, anti-poverty programs
Impact on the poor, inner-city and racial minorities
Political Factors
Tax relief for businesses, hidden welfare for the affluent
Highly favorable to republican constituencies
To restore money back to the people rather than saying this is generosity for the rich
Subsidies for the American dream
Long term insurance
Cost of child rearing
Elderly care
Elders pay less taxes to keep their wealth
Reduce marriage penalty
Minorities and women get shafted
Welfare was only part of the nation’s poverty reduction system: which includes public housing, food stamps, day care subsides, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance because of its scale but because to some it supposedly bred a culture of dependency
Social Factors
The choice of welfare reform was not race neutral
African Americans were the fewest recipient since the 1960
Stereotype of poor black woman in city abusing drugs living in the criminal culture
Targeted groups with high concentrations of blacks
Teenage mothers
Long term recipients of welfare
Fatherless children
Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House, used coded messages and stereotypical descriptions of welfare recipients to attack the system
“No civilization can survive with 12 year old having babies, 15 year old killing one another, 17 year old dying of aid, and 18 year old getting diploma they can’t read”
Social Factors
Lawrence Mead (another conservative): blaming black woman recipients that they depend on welfare and don’t want to work
Re-election of Clinton
Convince the public that he will decease the deficient
Promised to “end welfare as we know it”
Emphasized job training/creating, support child and health, help in transportation services, and child support enforcement
Promised that welfare will not be for life
The state will have to pay after 5 years instead of federal
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity and Reconciliation Act in 1996
