Economics and Government 2010

Welfare economics is a branch of economics that uses microeconomic techniques to simultaneously determine allocative efficiency within an economy and the income distribution associated with it.[citation needed] It analyzes social welfare, however measured, in terms of economic activities of the individuals that comprise the theoretical society considered. As such, individuals, with associated economic activities, are the basic units for aggregating to social welfare, whether of a group, a community, or a society, and there is no "social welfare" apart from the "welfare" associated with its individual units. Welfare economics typically takes individual preferences as given and stipulates a welfare improvement in Pareto efficiency terms from social state A to social state B if at least one person prefers B and no one else opposes it. There is no requirement of a unique quantitative measure of the welfare improvement implied by this. Another aspect of welfare treats income/goods distribution, including equality, as a further dimension of welfare.[1]

"Welfare really has two meanings. In one sense, it refers to all government programs providing benefits to impoverished Americans. The major programs are Medicaid, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and HUD housing programs. When the public and politicians speak of welfare, they are generally referring to what was Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) and is now Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). This cash assistance program is primarily provided to single parents. The TANF program has always been a relatively small part of the overall welfare scheme. (Click to see chart) To qualify for these programs, individuals must apply and meet income and resource limitations. The HUD and Food Stamp programs are federally funded; the others involve both federal and state funds."

Washington loves the analogy-and reality-of war. Let's take a moment to consider one of the most famous uses of that term, the War on Poverty. On March 16, 1964, in a special message to Congress, President Johnson delivered his proposal for what he labeled "A Nationwide War On The Sources of Poverty."

Who can get food stamps? Anyone can apply for food stamps. To get food stamps, you and the other people in your household must meet certain conditions. Everyone who is applying in your household must have or apply for a Social Security number and be either a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or have status as a qualified alien.

"This article is missing citations or needs footnotes . Please help add inline citations to guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (August 2007) Workers' compensation (colloquially known as workers' comp in North America or compo in Australia ) is a form of insurance that provides compensation medical care for employees who are injured in the course of employment, in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence. The tradeoff between assured, limited coverage and lack of recourse outside the worker compensation system is known as "the compensation bargain." While plans differ between jurisdictions, provision can be made for weekly payments in place of wages (functioning in this case as a form of disability insurance ), compensation for economic loss (past and future), reimbursement or payment of medical and like expenses (functioning in this case as a form of health insurance ), and benefits payable to the dependents of workers killed during employment (functioning in this case as a form of life insurance ). General damages for pain and suffering , and punitive damages for employer negligence , are generally not available in worker compensation plans. Employees' compensation laws are usually a feature of highly developed industrial societies, implemented after long and hard-fought struggles by trade unions . Supporters of such programs believe they improve working conditions and provide an economic safety net for employees. Conversely, these programs are often criticised for removing or restricting workers' common-law rights (such as suit in tort for negligence) in order to reduce governments' or insurance companies' financial liability. These laws were first enacted in Europe and Oceania , with the United States following shortly therea

"We are experienced workers' compensation lawyers who help people find the right lawyer for their situation. If you would like our help please contact us at (800) 807-9530. Pennsylvania workers' compensation is handled by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers Compensation. This organization handles all work injury cases in Pennsylvania, from sudden injuries (back sprains) to repetitive strains (carpal tunnel), and even illness or disease that is caused or aggravated by your job, such as exposure to asbestos. Pennsylvania is a "no fault" state, which means that you are entitled to benefits regardless of whether it was your employer's fault that you got hurt. Even if your injury was caused by your mistake, you are entitled to benefits. You do have to prove that your work caused your injury. There are a few exceptions, such as if you were intoxicated at the time of your injury. In most cases, you cannot sue your employer for negligence. There are a couple of different types of benefits you may receive in Pennsylvania: Medical benefits. In most cases, 100% of all reasonable and necessary medical bills related to the work injury will be paid. Total Disability. If you are unable to work at all, you can receive 2/3 of your average weekly wage for up to 500 weeks. Partial Disability. These benefits are available to compensate you for a difference in wages if you can return to work but you can only perform a job that pays less. You can receive 2/3 of the difference in wages. These benefits also are available for up to 500 weeks. In Pennsylvania, your employer can choose your initial doctor, but you are usually free to switch to your own doctor after 90 days. Your employer is required to post a list of approved doctors in the workplace, and is not permitted to ask you to see a particular doctor on the list. When looking for a work injury lawyer in Pennsylvania, we recommend that you choose carefully.

Each year, generally in the fall, the U.S. Census Bureau issues a report on poverty in the United States. Among other information, it provides statistics on how many people are poor, and on how poverty is distributed by age, by race or ethnicity, by region, and by family type. Individuals or families are poor if their annual pretax cash income falls below a federal measure of poverty that is also recalculated each year. The Census Bureau's most recent poverty report is for 2008, and was issued in September 2009 as a combined report, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008. Since 1965, there have been two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: the poverty thresholds, andhe poverty guidelines.

Stemming from a decision made in November 1963 to pursue a legislative agenda that economic advisers to President John F. Kennedy had planned, the War on Poverty consisted of a series of programs in the areas of health, education, and welfare that Congress passed in 1964 and 1965. When President Lyndon Johnson declared an " unconditional war on poverty" in his 1964 State of the Union address, he referred to federal aid to education and medical care for the elderly as important parts of that war. Although these measures passed in 1965, an omnibus act, prepared by a special task force of President Johnson's Council of Economic Advisers, became the legislative vehicle most closely associated with the War on Poverty. The House Education and Labor Committee began to consider this legislation, known as the Economic Opportunity Act (EOA), in April 1964, and the measure passed Congress that August

War on Poverty Begun officially in 1964, the War on Poverty was an ambitious governmental effort to address the problem of persistent poverty in the United States. Over the next decade, the federal government-in conjunction with state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and grassroots groups-created a new institutional base for antipoverty and civil rights action and, in the process, highlighted growing racial and ideological tensions in American politics and society.

graph on poverty

this is a video on Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty

"WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING? Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to highrise apartments for elderly families. There are approximately 1.2 million households living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 HAs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers Federal aid to local housing agencies (HAs) that manage the housing for low-income residents at rents they can afford. HUD furnishes technical and professional assistance in planning, developing and managing these developments."

"Privately owned subsidized housing - HUD helps apartment owners offer reduced rents to low-income tenants. Search for an apartment and apply directly at the management office"

"Current housing policy initiatives at all levels of government emphasize the dispersal of subsidized housing as a means of deconcentrating poverty. This paper presents a review of research conducted over 25 years that examines the various ways in which dispersal is achieved and the impacts of these programs on the poor families affected, as well as the receiving communities into which the poor (or the subsidized units) are placed. Though the programs tend to improve the conditions of poor families relative to other forms of subsidized housing, their potential to significantly deconcentrate poverty is limited by their small scale and by continued political opposition from receiving communities."

Definitions of TANF on the Web: *Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, often ) is one of the United States of America's federal assistance programs. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TANF *Temporary Aid to Needy Families washtenawtrialcourt.org/friend_of_court/glossary_terms *Commonly referred to as welfare, this program helps families with dependent children by providing financial assistance each month. States and territories operate the programs. There is a time limit on the cash assistance, and work is a major component of TANF. ...