Is Welfare Creating a Culture of Dependency?
From the time that Welfare programs in the US were established in the 1930s, they have also been questioned. Perhaps and age old argument is still posed even today: are Welfare programs in the United States creating a culture of dependency? A shocking poll released by the Wall Street Journal reported that 49% of households have at least one resident provided with some form of government relief. Homelessness rates are climbing; and so are unemployment rates. It is harder to get a job than ever before, and it looks like some people might not even want to.
The first welfare programs were introduced during the time of the Great Depression. The government provided resources such as medical care, public housing, food stamps, and a few other things. Since so many people were affected by the recession, work was not a requirement for applying for welfare benefits. Today, this is still usually the case. People are not always required to work for the benefits they receive. Some even argue that the benefits provided can be used for people to satisfy certain vices and addictions. Others say that the people receiving benefits actually have little to no motivation to find a job. So, naturally, the solution would be to require these people to find a job. Right? The problem with this is for the people that actually cannot find a job and experiencing the recession that we are living in today lose the benefits that they so desperately need. So, while some argue that Welfare is crushing the very foundation that this country was built on, it cannot be denied that America's Welfare programs are well needed for those who use it properly.
Work Cited
Porter, Eduardo. "The Myth of Welfare’s Corrupting Influence on the Poor."The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Spalding, Matthew. CNN. Cable News Network, 21 Sept. 2012. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.
Hill, Patrice. "Welfare-to-work Law Encourages Low Wages, Raises Dependency on Federal Benefits." Washington Times. The Washington Times, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2016.