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Welfare Short Assignment

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Short Assignment #1: Poverty Despite how scorned government welfare programs are for the physically, mentally, and financially needy, they are imperative to supporting a misrepresented societal class. Although it may appear that there are many people benefitting unfairly off of government funding, the reality is that these benefits are used much more judiciously in numerous lower-income households than in non-welfare households (“US Welfare”). The welfare system that America has adopted is an ingenious idea and a necessary, precautionary safety net for those who are unable to care for themselves and their families, or for those who are incapable of working for whatever reason. Although the system is imperfect, it is a crucial fallback plan …show more content…

While this sounds like a disproportionate part of the population, only 35.4% out of whole utilizes some type of welfare assistance (“Welfare Statistics”). Within my family, my aunt’s family is the beneficiary of both food stamps and HoosierCare, Indiana’s medical assistance program, for her children. Though I used to judge her harshly for her reliance on these programs, I now understand her choices from a slightly different perspective and admire that she is taking care of my cousins. In addition, if student government financial aid is considered a welfare program, then I and many of my peers are also taking advantage of the resources offered for those who are unable to support themselves. This surreal realization that sometimes people do not have a choice when they have exhausted their other options has definitely made me appreciate welfare programs in newfound …show more content…

Mark Rank makes a persuasive, logical argument in One Nation, Underprivileged about poverty and its adverse effects on both the general welfare and the economy. As long as people continue to dwell in destitution, there will be higher rates of premature births, emergency hospital visits, and other common diseases due to lack of education and substantial wealth to afford the best healthcare. Rank’s reasoning about the cycle of poverty and a nation’s aggregate wealth is also convincing; without any type of reform to help the impoverished, the premature births and large transmission/onset of deadly diseases will continue to be a persistent problem in American hospitals. As a result of these expensive conditions, it does put a greater strain on the rest of society to afford these services for those who cannot afford them. Thus, the only way to reduce these hindrances in society as a whole is to assist the underprivileged through an extensive, equal education, a means to accommodate affordable healthcare, and a general awareness of the consequences of poverty on a larger

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