Policy Analysis Part 1

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Policy Analysis Part 1 Breanna Eyles PennWest University SOWK 6600 Dr. Irene Fiala Sept 30, 2023

2 Poverty in America is a pressing issue that demands immediate attention. Despite being one of the wealthiest nations globally, millions of Americans struggle to meet their basic needs. This problem is not only morally unacceptable but also detrimental to the overall well-being and progress of our society. Why hasn't it been enough to alleviate poverty in America despite the numerous policies and practices that have been put in place? Even if the nation has tried to lower the poverty rate, the policies still need to be improved. According to the United States Census Bureau, "The official poverty rate in 2021 was 11.6 percent, with 37.9 million people in poverty." The United States devotes a lot less funding than other nations due to initiatives that support those who are economically challenged. Compared to almost every other industrialized nation, the United States devotes a lesser percentage of its GDP to social safety programs. The policies provided to Americans include programs that support people with health care, nutrition, housing, and financial aid in order to ensure that people can satisfy their fundamental requirements. Social Security, Unemployment Insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, SNAP and CHIP are a few of these programs. Numerous social insurance plans offered by most European nations and Canada effectively keep families out of poverty. Some of their assistance programs include child allowances, unemployment benefits, and universal health coverage with significant funding for childcare. In America, health care is a major concern. Many people still may not have access to health insurance, or if they have, their plan might only partially cover their requirements. Individuals living in poverty often lack access to quality healthcare services and nutritious food options. Consequently, they are at higher risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart conditions. Moreover, poverty increases stress levels and mental health issues among individuals who constantly worry about meeting their basic needs. Social workers

3 are aware that this issue affects people in many ways and might ultimately lead to less funding and fewer services available to help those in need. The same types of populations are continually impacted by poverty. Typically, poverty is passed down from one generation to the next. Poverty has an impact on a wide range of social groupings. Children, the elderly, the disabled, the sick, the unemployed, and veterans are a few of these groups. Children growing up in impoverished households are more likely to experience poor health, limited educational opportunities, and reduced social mobility. As a result, they are more susceptible to remaining trapped in poverty throughout their lives. Children are unable to attend school and pursue further education in an atmosphere where there is considerable unemployment and poor money. Children from low-income families are impacted in a variety of ways. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds fall behind in all educational levels. According to the Borjen project, the estimated gap between poorer and wealthier children by the age of 3 is nine months. Over time, this difference has only widened. Then, in contrast to their more affluent peers, they have less access to higher education. Infrastructure, unemployment, starvation, domestic abuse, child labor, and infections are only a few of the negative repercussions of child poverty in addition to education. Our senior citizens are also severely impacted by poverty. According to the United States Census, the poverty rate among those 65 and older grew from 8.9% in 2020 to 10.3% in 2021. This is since Social Security and Medicare are insufficient to pull our elderly population out of poverty. Their capacity to obtain housing and food security is impacted by this. This vicious cycle hinders the development of human capital and undermines the potential for economic growth.

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4 People living in poverty do have resources available to them if they meet, the guidelines. Financial, housing, and health care are just three of the many resources that are available to the population, but that does not mean that they are sufficient for individuals and families. For people and families making less than a certain monthly gross income, there are assistance programs available, like, SNAP, Medicaid, and subsidized housing. These initiatives assist people in meeting their fundamental necessities, including those for housing, food, and other expenses. The problem with these programs, though, are the quality of them and eligibility. A lot of families make just over the requirement to qualify for the benefits leaving them with no resources. Those families are living paycheck to paycheck to provide for their family's needs. The homeless also run into issues when applying for these benefits. The CAO needs an address where they can mail the benefits and correspondence. The homeless still need to meet the same income and eligibility requirements as any other household. So, although there are resources available there are stipulations and requirements for them. The main federal nutrition aid program is the Supplemental Nutrition aid Program (SNAP). Through an EBT card, SNAP offers benefits to eligible low-income people and families. In approved food store locations, this card can be used to make qualified food purchases much like a debit card. Another program, called "subsidized housing", offers quality and reasonably priced housing to those with lower earnings. These initiatives offer housing, assist with rent payments, or give low-interest mortgage loans to people who want to buy or renovate a home. Thirdly, Medicaid is a federal-state-funded public insurance program that offers health care to low- income families and individuals. Each state runs its own Medicaid program in accordance with federal regulations. The wide federal rules provide states a lot of latitude in creating and implementing their programs.

5 These initiatives can be better leveraged to solve this issue by making these resources more freely available to our communities and strengthening the programs already established. America has not equally distributed its resources. While America has failed to institutionalize quality, it has done so in nations with low rates of poverty. There is also a great problem with the stigmatization of those in poverty. Society does not respond to the needs and conditions of those who live in poverty in a respectful and suitable manner. Additionally, they do not acknowledge the societal injustices suffered by individuals who are poor. These people receive terrible treatment and are stereotyped based on things like their appearance and what they own. In this society, what someone has defines them as a person. For instance, a person without decent home or nice clothes would be classified as "poor, uneducated, and lazy," but a person who has a nice home, clothes and items, would be classified as "successful, driven, and rich." People will condemn a cook who has spent a long night in the kitchen and arrives home late and filthy. When a doctor arrives home late wearing scrubs, people react differently to them. The stigma, prejudice, and treatment of people who are poor are all obvious social problems. Due to how the population views these social issues, it is difficult to assist them. More individuals would be prepared to assist in reducing the problem if everyone had a better knowledge of why some people may be in poverty or the generational impact on the population. At the end of the day, poverty in America affects the entire country. By encouraging political action to deal with the problem's root causes, the populace can effect change. The public can promote change by fighting for economic stability through advocacy and elections. It's possible that the impoverished lack the means to speak out. They can go to marches and rallies, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the middle and upper classes to speak out in support of these individuals. To assist this demographic, there are volunteer opportunities and programs

6 available. Due to the stigma, as previously said, relatively few people are ready to do so. The general public can use their voice to persuade those in positions of authority to improve policies and shift public perception of how critical it is to address this issue. Supporting causes helps them become known, sparks discussions, and brings attention to them. Next, contributing to elections can support economic stability. One example is the issue on increasing the federal minimum wage. To raise the federal minimum wage and raise Americans' living standards, Americans can lobby congress to do so and the people that are elected in office can do this. Making improvements to current programs and raising the federal minimum wage are two policy options that could combat poverty in America. America's first change to an established program is to raise snap benefits. It will be advantageous to increase the amount of money qualified individuals get and reduce the minimum household gross income. The second method involves making Medicaid stronger. Medicaid can be strengthened in several ways, including by raising the amount paid to providers. The current payment rates alienate the service providers. Thirdly, both the authorized money and the number of housing vouchers can be increased. The federal government will need to address these policy changes. Modifying the federal minimum wage is the second policy option. The increase from the minimum wage of today does not keep pace with inflation. The income of low-skilled workers may improve if the wage is raised. These unskilled laborers make up a sizable share of the existing population living in poverty. Increases in the minimum wage will result in fewer chances for employment generally by boosting the cost of low-skilled workers. Funding is just one of several obstacles to this transition. This approach will need to be done at the federal level. How will America get the money necessary to make the necessary adjustments? These reforms can be supported by initiatives like taxing the wealthy and promoting economic equality. Tackling poverty should be a top priority for our nation. By

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7 addressing this issue head-on through comprehensive policies and targeted interventions, we can break the cycle of disadvantage while fostering social cohesion and economic prosperity for all Americans.

8 References Tubb, M. (2021). Opinion | to end poverty in America, we need to start telling the truth about poor people. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/think/politics-policy/america- poverty-problem-can-be-fixed-rcna6963 Why is poverty higher in the U.S. than in other countries? (2017). Retrieved from https://confrontingpoverty.org/poverty-discussion-guide/why-is-poverty-higher-in-the-u-s- than-in-other-countries/#:~:text=As%20economist%20Rebecca%20Blank %20notes,poverty%20rates%20in%20the%20country. Shelton, S. (2019). Retrieved from https://borgenproject.org/how-poverty-effects-society- children-and-violence/#:~:text=Issues%20like%20hunger%2C%20illness%2C%20and,one %20problem%20rarely%20occurs%20alone. United Stated Census Bureau. National Poverty in America Awareness Month: January 2023. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/poverty-awareness- month.html#:~:text=Official%20Poverty%20Measure,37.9%20million%20people%20in %20poverty. Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.palawhelp.org/resource/public-housing-subsidized-housing#:~:text=PUBLIC %20HOUSING%20and%20subsidized%20housing,buy%20or%20repair%20a%20home. Introduction to Medicaid. (2023). Retrieved from https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/introduction-to-medicaid

9 Ten Policy and Program Approaches to Reducing Child Poverty. (2019) Retrieved from Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547351

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Policy Analysis Part 1

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