Welfare Distrubution in the United States of America - Research Paper Example

?Welfare Distribution in the United s of America Introduction:       Wealthy nations like the United s are all welfare s. They represent industrialist states following judicious measures of socialism. By following such socialism, different institutions are socialized with the purpose of diminution in economic uncertainty. Education, health or certain other forms of insurance may reduce economic uncertainty. Education and health augment the value of an individual, thus making the population more capable to deal with the economic uncertainty caused by various factors, including the prevailing market conditions. Population may also become more secured through the insurances in health and social issues which precisely cut down the financial costs of uncertainty. (Garfinkel, Rainwater & Smeeding, 2). The welfare state in the United States of America is considered as an “under achiever”. It can be acknowledged from the past data that the social programs initiated by the USA came into exercise much later than several other nations. Currently several important parts of the American welfare state can be considered as inadequately developed, or many essential measures are missing in the system. The United States seems to make lesser expenditure on social programs in comparison to many other democracies. Also, the rates of poverty and inequality are much higher in the United States (Howard, 1). The United States can be recognized as a territory of prospects or opportunities.  However, that also does not imply equality. Nathan Glazer, a professor of sociology and education at the Harvard University, in his argument, commented on United States as the most imbalanced amongst other inexpensively developed countries.  According to statistical data, it can be realized that the United States in comparison to other countries like Europe, redistributes considerably less social benefits.  Such less redistribution are the consequences of greater inequality in income obtained before tax and an indistinct income distribution in the United States. Although the United States is conventional in its political principles, yet it can often be recognized with moderate courses of action in welfare, thus the country clearly representing uniqueness and nonjudgmental processes. (Brunson).       This report is mainly prepared to focus on providing arguments against the distribution of welfare in the United States. There are many views in support of the welfare system in the USA, which reflect that the welfare system in the USA increases economic growth, productivity, and efficiency of the country. (Garfinkel, Rainwater & Smeeding, 1). However this report would bring out certain aspects, which would clearly indicate that the welfare distribution in the United States of America has many negative impacts as well, which are backed by evidences and arguments. The studies and researches previously done on the concerned topic would be taken into consideration and other sources on the welfare distribution in the USA and its effects as provided by different authors would be utilized as sources. The report would bring out the impacts of the present system of welfare distribution prevailing in the United States, thereby providing arguments against the system, and reflecting upon the negative effects of the current system.   Arguments against the Welfare Distribution in the USA:       The government of the United States strictly lacks a widespread and productive welfare system.  On the other hand, the alternative governmental programs seem to be better than the welfare system to a greater extent.   For instance, in the year 1999, a family of three had received remunerations of $164 per month from the welfare services, while the allowance for food stamp for the same family was at $329 per month. Thus, it was economically more rational to take food stamps provided by the alternative government measures instead of receiving welfare benefits.  In the present scenario, food stamps and government housing are considered to be better options by the poor citizens of America than receiving basic monthly payments from welfare services.  Even the taxpayers who support the welfare processes do not receive any incentive; hence the discouragement and disappointment prevailing in the system can be well realized. Also, the redistribution plan of the United States for the worse conditions of population suffering seems to be less efficient in comparison to other countries. (Brunson).       Americans do not seem to be pathetic towards the underprivileged, but when the issue of unemployment arises, a strong communal disgrace gets attached to it.  The unemployment benefits are much lower in the United States than in other countries; also the authorized minimum remuneration is extensively less. Benefits for families are in effect absent in the United States. The exception lies predominantly with families having very low earnings and who are recommended under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program.  Considering the healthcare services, the United States is responsible for a particular section of people only. Sickness and accident benefits are not provided by all the states. According to the race-based theory Americans do not consider the poor as members of their own groups, which is unlike many other countries like Europe. Hence, the poor citizens are generally considered as inferior to them. (Brunson).       The USA does not represent an integrated welfare system. According to Federalism the States should hold several significant operations that include public assistance, social care and various health proposals. However, in comparison to other developed countries, the central government has had a restricted responsibility in terms of social welfare services. Practically viewing, the US is diverse in nature rather than laissez-faire. Along with several federal and state activities, there are wide-ranging classified and business interests in welfare prerequisites. The resulting systems are hence complex and complicated. (Spicker).       A different issue that arises against the welfare distribution in the United States is the fact that the immigrants take advantage of the welfare facilities. This also results in illegal immigrants trying to enter the country. Several facilities of welfare are dedicated particularly to the immigrants, which the illegal immigrants also take advantage of. However, higher levels of welfare services received by the immigrants also affect the native citizens as that might point toward increased rivalry with the native inhabitants for limited public resources. Several viewers see immigrants receiving welfare and illegal immigrants as warnings that immigrants lying out of the guidelines of current policy are entering the United States, which provides impulsion to efforts to transform the immigration policy (Bean & Stevens, 66-67).       Moreover, in a country like the United States, which possesses abundant opportunities, it can be expected to have support for welfare, especially by those who are benefited by such services. However, welfare or charity services incur a lot of costs, which are factors to be taken utmost care as these might impact a country as a whole. Such costs are borne to both the giver as well as the recipients. As an effect of the welfare system, there is a discouragement that is expected to occur among citizens to improve themselves. As only particular sections of people were able to receive the benefits that meant they had to remain so in order to gain such benefits. (Carson, Thomas & Hecht, 143-144).       The welfare system thus seems to be irrational by character, not responding to the needs of all needy people. On the other hand, illegal immigrants seem to take advantage of such services as the country tends to focus on providing immigrants with all kinds of welfare services. The policies followed by the United States also differed from other countries like Europe, which were far more concerned about the true value of welfare services and were better accepted. The welfare system followed in the USA not only shows discrimination but also cause concerns of affecting the country as well as its native inhabitants. Views in Opposition:       According to views of some authors, market resolutions in the USA have outlined more significantly in the terms of services like education, health, employment and personal social services. Many voluntary organizations are concerned in providing personal social services, thereby increasing the purchase of such services, and enhancing the element of funding by the public (Sainsbury, 25).       Education provided by the welfare system in the USA is considered as one of the most important contribution as it is believed by many that education provides growth and development in productivity of a country. It is also of some authors’ opinion that owing to the benefits provided by the welfare system in the USA several other countries have followed the US model in their countries (Garfinkel, Rainwater & Smeeding, 8).       The point to be discussed in this respect is that, the welfare system is undoubtedly providing beneficial services to many, especially the poor, as well as the immigrants. However, the major issue lies in the fact that even though the services are providing some sections of people with benefits, there are other sections of people who are not enjoying the benefits of such welfare facilities. Moreover, it is the poor people who are under the major focus of the welfare services. In order to gain the facilities, such people are supposed to stay in their poor state, and cannot improve.       The other issue is regarding the immigrants. It does not seem to be a proper measure to provide welfare services to immigrants without serving the native inhabitants ahead of. This is expected to create discontents in the minds of the inhabitants who might not accept the fact that immigrants are preferred more and served better than them. Also, the entry of illegal immigrants is a major issue, which is more instigated by the availability of such welfare services (Weissinger, 169). The costs and benefits of the welfare programs are also major issues of debates among different authors. (CCH Incorporated, 258). On all other respects except the education the welfare programs are viewed to reduce efficiency, productivity and economic growth; however, education being demonstrably productive, its inclusion creates a different image enhancing the positive aspects and impacts of such welfare services.       There are other issues as well in respect to the changes in the form of the welfare system in the USA. The relationship between a social policy and the social classes of race or gender, are also matters of concern. Race, gender and class have their specific national patterns, the study of which is necessary while setting up of welfare distribution programs. It is thus important that social welfare programs tend to provide remedies to social inequalities of race, class and gender. (Cochrane, Clarke & Gewirtz, 146). If the USA plans welfare services for only a particular section of people, it can be expected that inequalities in social classes may increase, which is not a favorable or acceptable measure in terms of the country’s growth and development.       The regulation or management of poor people in the USA can be seen to involve more than what is actually meant through a welfare service. The USA seems to be creating a more penalizing state rather than welfare services for most of the poor citizens of the country. The USA has the highest proportion of adult male population in prison of any developed capitalist society. The penal codes in the USA provide the poor with minimum level of health and other welfare services. (Cochrane, Clarke & Gewirtz, 147).       Welfare played a central role during the reconstruction of the USA in the 1980s. The concern of welfare covered a diversity of premises about the economy, the state, the family, race and gender that were essential at the time of USA’s return to a position of greatness. (Cochrane, Clarke & Gewirtz, 125). The welfare system has since been continued in the country providing several benefits to many citizens. But the arguments still arise against the distribution of welfare of the country owing to the negative impacts that such welfare services have on the country’s economic growth leading to increase in costs, as well as on inhabitants who are against the facilities provided to immigrants, especially when such immigrants also include many illegal population. The welfare services provided to a particular section and not responding to the needs of all needy people also creates an environment of discontent among the citizens of the country. Conclusion:       United States of America is known to follow measures of welfare distribution since a long time. From the different opinions and studies made on the concerned topic, it is clear that different view, in support and in against of the welfare distribution in the USA, is prevailing. Many authors have opinions that such systems provide great benefits to the citizens of the country. However the report presented here is to bring out the negative impacts of the welfare services, which in turn impact the country as well as its inhabitants. The report has tried to come out with the reasons owing to which even though the services tend to provide the population with positive benefits, yet certain negative effects or problems for the country remain in place. The negative impacts are of serious concerns for the country for the purpose of growth and development and the satisfaction of the inhabitants, who otherwise may create situations of unrest hindering positive aspects of the country’s measures.       Although different measures and programs of the welfare services prevailing in the USA provide several benefits that include economic aids, education and healthcare services to the citizens of the country, still the problems with such services lie in that they do not focus on the needs of all inhabitants. The services are made available only to particular section of people, especially the very poor, who also requires remaining in the similar state of condition to avail the benefits of such services. The education might have been considered as one of the advantageous or beneficial services provided by the welfare programs, but the overall impacts of the service over the country and its citizens seem to undermine the importance of education, focusing the concerns more with the economic growth and development of the country.       The availability of services to the immigrants is a major concern and a factor that argues more specifically against the welfare distribution in the USA. The immigrants are taken better care of than the native inhabitants, which is undoubtedly unacceptable by the population of the country, particularly when immigrants are entering the country illegally and staying unauthorized to take advantage of such measures being provided to them. Also, this seems to have become a regular issue, which the country strictly needs to look at, and measures to hinder the entry of such illegal immigrants in the country. Thus, it can be understood that even though the welfare services provide several benefits with respect to some sections of people residing in the country, for some other sections are against the facilities available. Moreover, with respect to the country’s growth and development and the cost factors, several issues against the distribution of welfare arise in the United States of America. Although the country is considered as one of the richest countries in the world, yet considering the services provided by the country’s welfare programs, it can only be said that the country needs to take sincere and severe measures to stress on the negative aspects of their services in order to protect the country from unrest among citizens as well as prevent the country from over expenditures and costs.                     References 1. Bean, Frank D. & Gillian Stevens. America's newcomers and the dynamics of diversity, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2003 2. Brunson, M. Katharine, Welfare Policy, SMU, July 22, 2011 from: http://smu.edu/ecenter/discourse/Brunson.htm 3. Carson, Robert Barry. Thomas, Wade L. & Jason Hecht. Economic issues today: alternative approaches, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2005 4. C C H, Incorporated. US master employee benefits guide, United States: CCH Incorporated, 2004 5. Cochrane, Allan. Clarke, John. & Sharon Gewirtz. Comparing welfare states, India: SAGE, 2001 6. Garfinkel, Irwin. Rainwater, Lee. &  Timothy M. Smeeding. Wealth and welfare states: is America a laggard or leader?, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 2010 7. Howard, Christopher. The welfare state nobody knows: debunking myths about U.S. social policy, United States: Princeton University Press, 2007 8. Sainsbury, Diane. Gender, equality, and welfare states, England: Cambridge University Press, 1996 9. Spicker, Paul, An Introduction to Social Policy, RGU, July 22, 2011 from: http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/wstate.htm 10. Weissinger, George. Law enforcement and the INS: a participant observation study of control agents, United States: University Press of America, 2005                   Outline Serial No. Topic Page No. 1 Introduction 1 2 Arguments against the welfare distribution in the USA 2 3 Views in Opposition 5 4 Conclusion 7 Read More