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9. Welfare and Social Security Policy

Exercises

1. Understanding Poverty
   
   This U.S. Census site has a variety of statistics and information about poverty in the United States. Select "Historical Tables," and then "People." These data illustrate the demographic differences associated with poverty.
   
   
• Select "Table 2" to get a baseline (the percentage used to make comparisons) of the poverty rate for all U.S. citizens. What is the poverty rate for the most recent year presented?





• Select "Table 3." What percentage of children (younger than eighteen years of age), lived in poverty in the most recent year presented? What has been the trend in this rate over the past decade? Over the past twenty years? Continue to scroll down through this table. What are the differences in the child poverty rate by race?





• Select "Table 7." How does the poverty rate vary by gender? What trends do you see over the past decade?





• Select "Table 19." Which state has the highest rate of poverty in the most recent year published? The lowest rate? Where does your state fall? How do each of these rates compare to the national poverty rate? Why do you think there are such differences in the poverty rate from state to state?

2. Perspectives on Social Security Reform
   
   One reason to study public policy and policy analysis is to help evaluate what political candidates and others who comment on policy issues are saying about a particular problem or policy alternative. In this exercise you will examine different viewpoints in regard to Social Security reform.
   
   
• Begin with the current president. Go to the White House site. Under the “Issues” menu, choose "Seniors and Social Security" and see what the president has to say about the issue. What solutions are proposed? How are these solutions to be financed?
  





• Now check out the Web site of a few different think tanks that have materials available about Social Security. You may want to try the Concord Coalition, the Social Security Network, the Heritage Foundation, or Public Agenda. What do these different organizations think about Social Security reform? Are they supportive of the White House plan? Why or why not? Do they provide any alternatives and, if so, what are they?