Final Essay Questions

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2. In the Table in Appendix A, there is a category for “stringency of eligibility” (people sometimes also refer to this dimension of analysis as “accessibility” of a program). Address the following three questions about this category: a. What does “stringency of eligibility” mean? (Just the basics, no need for long answers) b. What sorts of things (aspects of a program’s design) does stringency of eligibility refer to? c. Why do policy analysts and social workers care about stringency of eligibility? “Stringency of eligibility” refers to the level of strictness a program has regarding an individual's eligibility for the program's benefits. In essence, it is about how easy or difficult it is to meet the necessary requirements to be a part of the program. If a program has high stringency, like TANF, then that means there are stricter requirements for the individual, meaning it's harder to qualify for benefits. Oppositely, If there is low stringency then there are looser requirements for the individual making the program much more accessible. In terms of stringency of eligibility, certain aspects of the program are important to note since these aspects affect whether the program is considered high or low. These aspects include income thresholds (one's financial condition), demographic criteria (age, family status, disability, etc.), documentation requirements, asset limits, work requirements, and citizenship/residency status. Depending on the program, these aspects vary in severity to determine the program's stringency. For social workers and policy analysts, a program’s “stringency of eligibility” is an important topic as it impacts issues such as social welfare, policy alleviation, and the overall inclusivity and effectiveness of the social programs. Social worker's main goals are to support people's access to goods and services to help alleviate their issues. The “stringency of eligibility” limits an individual's access to these necessary goods and services, making the topic an issue that social workers must understand and be conscious of in its entirety. For policymakers, this topic is essential to their practice since they are concerned about not only the program's effectiveness and fairness but also the sustainability of the program's financial and physical benefits. These two work hand in hand to optimize the program's design and to strike a balance between the needs that each is working towards. Overall, “stringency of eligibility” is an important topic to both understand and discuss when thinking about federal social welfare programs in the United States. 3. Looking at the table in Appendix A: Medicare is currently funded exclusively by the Federal Government and is administered also at the Federal level. If one were to propose a policy that shifted both funding and administration of the program to the STATES, would liberals likely be pleased or displeased by such a move. Please explain why they would be pleased/displeased and what arguments they might make for/against such a change. If a policy was proposed to shift both funding and administration of Medicare to a state level, liberals, depending on the individual, could either be pleased or displeased with the proposal. Liberals who are pleased with the move could see this as an opportunity for innovation in healthcare per state. Each state could tailor healthcare programs to the unique needs of the people and aid in the accountability of each state. Additionally, there would be much more responsive and efficient healthcare overall. Oppositely, liberals who are displeased with this proposal would argue that it would lead to major financial disparity and access inequality. This change from federal to state funding and administration could tarnish the uniformity and consistency of all healthcare services, leading to the threat of unequal access and quality of care. This means that states with better access to proper resources, like financial support, would be able to provide better care compared to other, less affluent states, resulting in higher levels of inequality. Overall, this proposed change to Medicare depends on the perspective that liberals may hold, and generally can be found to have a mixed outlook.
6. Let’s think back to the 1960’s Great Society, and think about the establishment of MEDICARE and MEDICAID, in particular. Summarize how each of the three primary political ideologies felt about these programs. How would you characterize each group’s reaction on a range from Favorable to Unfavorable? (Appendix B might be helpful for this answer). When discussing the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid the three political groups, conservatives, liberals, and social democrats, each holds different perspectives which range from favorable to unfavorable. First, conservatives overall, feel unfavorable toward both Medicare and Medicaid. Conservatives hold strong ideologies that support economic responsibility being placed on the individual rather than receiving aid from the government since it's believed it will support reliance on the government and overall laziness. As a whole, conservatives support laissez-faire governmental intervention and both Medicare and Medicaid increase government influence on both individual and state freedoms. Additionally, conservatives would be critical of the economic toll the two programs suggest. Second, Liberals feel the exact opposite and are very much favorable of both Medicare and Medicaid. For liberals, the values they hold strongly align with government intervention in all aspects of society and equal opportunity for all citizens, no matter economic or social status. The introduction of Medicare and Medicaid is seen as a step in the right direction towards upholding these core beliefs as they provide the needy with a healthcare safety net to fall back on. Lastly, Social Democrats overall feel favorably about Medicare and Medicaid. Social Democrats have strong beliefs that align with creating a fair and just society for all individuals. The implementation of Medicare and Medicaid has a positive impact on the core values of Social Democrats since it promotes an inclusive and equitable healthcare system. It additionally acts as a way to address issues of economic disparity as vulnerable populations are now able to access quality healthcare. Overall, Medicare and Medicaid have varying opinions about its establishment between the three prevailing political associations. 7. Describe the main features and/or programs of the War on Poverty. What sort of perspective on poverty is reflected in these programs? How did these programs aim to reduce poverty in America? Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon B. Johnson conjured a grand vision known as the “War on Poverty” with the goal of equal opportunity that many Americans couldn’t achieve because of their race or class affiliations. To do this, Johnson implemented small, but new anti-poverty programs such as the Economic Opportunities Act, Job Corps, Community Action Programs, Head Start, Legal Services to the Poor, and Volunteers in Service to America. In President Johnson’s agenda, these programs and initiatives held strong ideologies that only addressed poverty as a human capital issue rather than addressing the pressing structural factors that drove poverty to begin with. This perspective on poverty as a way to enhance the individual’s human capital value led to a lack in other areas that were necessary to effectively alleviate issues of poverty in a meaningful way. Though this apparent lack overall hurt their main goals, there emerged a new idea of community action and “maximum feasible participation” that centered around the idea of empowering poor individuals through programs established within their immediate communities. These programs aimed to reduce poverty through providing education, employment, and empowerment to ultimately try to alleviate the struggles associated with poverty.
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