economic reform in 1996

A detailed Summary of economic reform in 1996


In August of 1996, a welfare reform was passed that took power away from the federal government and gave it to the states so that the states could develop their own personal ways of dispersing welfare. With the reform, each state is given a block grant by the Federal government and is met with little Federal regulation. In this reform, Clinton applied a "family cap" in hopes to discourage pregnancy among welfare recipients and also a few financial incentives for those who married. The new legislation also put limits on how long a person can be on the welfare program. The 1996 welfare reform changed welfare from what it use to be, a relatively liberal institution, to what it is now, a sort of middle ground between the liberal view and the conservative.

With the devolution of power from the federal government to the state, there no longer is one basic welfare program. Welfare varies very much from one state to the next and in some cases, from one county to the next. The power is very much spread out and many of the approaches entail "subjective judgment". "By and large, these responsibilities are falling to welfare caseworkers."(Dan Froomkin)

With welfare caseworkers making subjective judgments on


Under the newer reform, the government has limited how long certain recipients can be dependent on government assistance. There are many exceptions to the rule, as in people who aren't capable of work, but for the general the maximum amount of time a person can accept assistance is five years.

Some say that this five-year limit might drive some to employment but for many it will only force them into an even deeper poverty. Though the figures might go to show that poverty is shrinking, critics say this might only be so because of a new underclass so impoverished that government no longer knows they exist.

The down side to caseworkers making subjective judgments is that it opens up the possibility that a caseworker might deny a legitimate case for assistance out of his or her own prejudice. Referring to the past welfare setup, Dan Froomkin of the Washington Post says, "...for all it's drawbacks, it ensured a certain kind of blind fairness."

"Family caps" along with incentives for marriage are in the 1996 reform as well. The family cap has a set of federal standards that decide whether or not the cap pertains to a recipient or not. In general the cap states that if a recipient has a baby while attaining welfare, the recipient doesn't receive any more government

Some common words found in the essay are:
Washington Post, Welfare Reform, welfare reform, federal government, 1996 welfare reform, 1996 welfare, caseworkers subjective, welfare reform 1996, subjective judgments, caseworkers subjective judgments, power federal government, dependent government, financial assistance, family cap, family caps, government assistance,

Approximate Word count = 863
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Economic Reform in Poland and the Czech Republic ... sectoramp39s share of GDP remained at about 60 percent in 1995 and 1996. ... Republic can now become a model to several other countries that need economic reform. ... 965 words
  • Russian economy ... dollars are held for themselves, which have not been channeled into real investments by banks and institutions Hoshino Committee on Economic Reform, 1996. ... 1170 words
  • Russian Economy ... dollars are held for themselves, which have not been channeled into real investments by banks and institutions Hoshino Committee on Economic Reform, 1996. ... 1170 words
  • Economic System of Germany ... its highs and lows, with a 1996 statistic stating ... day they continue to reform and with reform comes work ... Germany has had its share of economic hardships and ... 1269 words
  • Chinese Economic Reforms ... Real GDP growth was 9.7 in 1996, slowing to 8.8 in 1997. China has achieved the average annual growth rate of 9.5 percent since the economic reform. ... 3805 words

Professional Essays

  • Economic Reform ampamp Implications in China ... trade have been imposed by the United States government Brauchli ampamp Chang, 1996, p. A14. Nature and Consequences of Economic Reform Economic reforms in the ... 2654 words
  • Economic Reform ampamp Social Implications in the PRC ... trade have been imposed by the United States government Brauchli ampamp Chang, 1996, p. A14. Nature and Consequences of Economic Reform Economic reforms in the ... 3090 words
  • Tax Reform Issue ... Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform, was headed by Jack Kemp. The recommendations, released by the Kemp Commission in January 1996, endorsed a flat ... 2559 words
  • Argentinaamp39s Economic Recovery ... Based on structural reform and economic stability fostered ... and the IMF agreed to continue a threeyear Extended Fund Facility EFF through March 31, 1996. ... 2590 words
  • Mexicoamp39s Economic Crisis ... also is a major barrier to economic development ... Prior land reform efforts in Mexico have been ... Conclusion Mexico, to paraphrase Rapaczynaki 1996 has attempted ... 2397 words
  • Economic Crisis in Mexico ampamp Potential Solutions ... also is a major barrier to economic development ... Prior land reform efforts in Mexico have been ... Conclusion Mexico, to paraphrase Rapaczynaki 1996 has attempted ... 2397 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.