FREE ESSAY ON WELFARE TO WORKFARE

WELFARE TO WORKFARE

Welfare is a public assistance program that provides at least a minimum amount of economic
security to people whose incomes are insufficient to maintain an adequate standard of
living. These programs generally include such benefits as financial aid to individuals,
subsidized medical care, and stamps that are used to purchase food. The modern U.S.
welfare system dates back to the Great Depression of the 1930's. During the worst parts
of the Depression, about one-fourth of the labor force was without work. More than
two-thirds of all households would have been considered poor by today's standards. With a
majority of the capable adult population experiencing severe financial misfortune, many
Americans turned to the government for answers. In response, U.S. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt led a social and economic reform movement attacking the Depression. Part of his
newly enacted "New Deal" program was the Social Security Act, enacted by Congress in
1935. This act and established a number of social welfare programs, each designed to
provide support for different segments of the population. 
Recently Roosevelt's Social Welfare Program has become a topic of heated debate. Welfare
has come a long way since Roosevelt, it was once a system that help those in need until
they could get back on their feet, now welfare has turned into a system that feeds money
to a group of people that have become to lazy to find work. Talk of replacing the old
system with a welfare program that will emphasize putting welfare recipients to work has
become very frequent. More and more stated are now beginning to adopt a "welfare-to-work"
program, leaving other states to simply ponder about the idea of "taking people off the
system." 
Those in favor of welfare reform argue that a welfare-to-work program will cut the amount
of people on welfare causing a surplus of funds. These people base their idea on the
overwhelming success of those states who have already adopted such a program. Nationwide,
welfare caseloads have declined significantly since the passage of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. In the few months since
the bill went into effect the amount of welfare caseloads are down by approximately 2
million. Figures also show that Alabama reduced its welfare enrollment by 48%, and
Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee reduced theirs by 49%. In Wisconsin
welfare was reduced by 58% and Wyoming's cases dropped an amazing 73% (Source: Dept. of
Health and Human Services). According to the experts these successful states have a on
main element in common, "a serious effort to move welfare recipients into jobs." In
addition, welfare reform is saving both the state and federal governments hundreds of
millions of dollars, while giving thousands of Americans who formerly received government
handouts a sense of self-worth. 
Opponents of the bill have a much different view, they believe that the new program will
have a negative effect on society and the economy. Labor unions, and others who are
against the legislation, are concerned that welfare recipients, often available at lower
rates, will displace current workers. Businesses pressured by the federal government to
handle their share if the burden in ending welfare as we know it, must struggle with the
uncertainty of employing workers who for years were unemployed. Critics of the bills also
believe that the legislation goes too far by cutting too much from welfare spending and
harming poor children. They contend that the unemployed poor need training in order to
get a job, and that a welfare-to-work program including training will cost more money not
less.
After assessing both side of the issue it is my sincere belief that a nationwide
welfare-to-work program would have a positive effect on American society. This sort of
program would rid the nation of the wide array of indolent people who live their life off
governmental funds, and produce a remainder of workers in need of jobs. It is obvious
from the many statistics that welfare-to-work has been a success in decreasing the
caseloads of welfare, and in adding to the surplus of funds for state and federal
governments, that could be used for beneficial changes such as improvements in roadways.
Therefore I think that this program should be adopted by all fifty states. 
Bibliography
Berkowitz, Edward D. America's Welfare State: From Roosevelt to Regan. The American
Moment Series. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991. 
Cloward, Richard A., ed. Regulating the Poor The Functions of the Public Welfare. London:
Vintage Books, 1993.
NCAP on the web. National Center for Political Analysis 17 Nov. 1999
http://www.ncpa.org/pi/welfare
Pear, Robert. "10,000 Welfare Recipients Hired by Federal Agencies." New York Times.
March 1, 1999
Policy.com. 19 May 1997. The Policy News & Information Service. 15 Nov. 1999
http://www.policy.com/issuewk 
Pont, Pete du. "Uneven Welfare Revolution Results." Washington Times. Jan 16, 1998