Government Welfare. Discussed: Should the Government Provide

¶ … government welfare. Discussed: should the government provide fewer or more benefits for single parents on welfare. Thesis, three reasons to support, at least 4 quotes and paraphrases on each page from experts.

Should the Government Provide More or Fewer Benefits for Single Parents on Welfare?

Welfare reforms have been a continuous debate for years. The latest reform regarding single parents and government benefits has stirred controversy and initiated studies to determine the effects of new policies. While many critics believe the new reforms are too harsh and simply increase the number of poverty level families, the new policies with reduced benefits are making a positive significant impact in reducing the number of single parent recipients and placing them in the employment arena. Therefore, the government should provide less benefits to single parents on welfare.

Many critics argue that the economy is responsible for caseload declines (New B7). However, according to a study by the Cato Institute, between 1996-2000, welfare caseloads declined in all fifty states (New B7). Thus, the "decline in welfare caseloads would only be 4 percentage points greater in a state with above average economic growth than in a state with below average economic growth" (New B7). Moreover, history shows that the economy has a limited impact on the number of welfare recipients: "between 1983 and 1989 the economy was at a brisk rate, but the number of AFDC recipients actually increased" (New B7). States now have the "flexibility to sanction welfare recipients who were not complying with mandatory work activities, thus, some states adopted tough sanctions that made welfare recipients ineligible for benefits at the first instance of noncompliance" (New B7). Therefore, "a state that adopted a strict sanctioning policy for four years would experience a welfare caseload decline that is over 20 percentage points greater than a state that implemented a weak sanction for four years" (New B7).

In his new book, "Losing Ground," Charles Murray states that "increases in welfare benefits during the Great Society fostered greater dependence on welfare" (New B7). Murray cites that "when welfare benefits began to exceed the minimum wage, collecting welfare suddenly became economically advantageous for many women...this led to increases in welfare caseloads and the number of single-parent families" (New B7). The results of the Cato study and Murray's arguments show that "states with low benefits enjoyed larger caseload reductions than states with high benefits" (New B7).

According to the Government Accounting Office, although, there have been studies conducted to understand the role of welfare benefits and a "woman's decision to have a child...the results of studies have been mixed" (Welfare pg). However, "a recent summary of this research found that a slight majority of studies have concluded that receiving welfare has led to a decrease in marriage and an increase in childbearing" (Welfare pg).