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United States Welfare System Essay

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A welfare system is nowhere near simple in any fashion. Today’s systems work upon market forces, government programs and of course the people. The United States welfare state is one of controversy unlike any other. The traditional view, for the most part, is negative because the United States welfare system lags behind in implementing successful policies that benefit all. As well as the failure to put forth the money needed to care for those in need, and the inability of American politics and government to keep a steady, consistent welfare state that truly cares for its citizens of all ages, colors and races in a fair and equal manner. This has yet to be seen and we don’t seem to be any closer to achieving a fair welfare state and/or system …show more content…

On the other, they have demonstrated a callous disregard for persons in need.” (Jansson 2). This quote is a perfect starting point for understanding the traditional view of the United States welfare state. While we have many policies designed to help those in need, these policies simply do not do enough. For the most part, United States welfare programs are based on a means tested program. This means that in order to receive benefits from any certain program, Medicare and Medicaid for example, you must have a specific level of income. Means tested programs fail to cover many of the Americans who need help from these services but do not qualify because of their income. This is especially true in cases of single-headed families and even more so for those families of single mothers. While some programs may benefit certain groups such as the poor and elderly, they do not cover middle class citizens who can encounter real financial trouble if a medical emergency were to happen. This could sink a family completely financially because of the fact that the United States doesn’t have a universal health care system like most advanced industrial nations have. The family also would not be able to receive benefits from any programs either because they do not meet the means tested requirement

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