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Are government programs effective in getting people out of poverty? If you think "yes" can you give some examples. If you think "no" why do you think we keep pouring money into programs that don't work?
No, quite the opposite. They are VERY successfull in keeping people IN poverty for all the reasons that have been given countless times before, such as fostering dependency, NOT independency.
Are government programs effective in getting people out of poverty? If you think "yes" can you give some examples. If you think "no" why do you think we keep pouring money into programs that don't work?
There is a fundamental problem with your assumption. A government program can be about targeting poverty, or ignoring it (and often working to add to it). It depends on who is running the government. You go for a mix over time, you get mixed/convoluted results.
Most countries, including the USA, started adopting significant social welfare programs following the disaster people witnessed during the Great Depression. This was most obvious in western Europe. For example, the government taking control and making welfare of the people as a whole a priority helped reduce poverty levels in counties like Sweden down from 24% to about 6%, in Germany from about 15% to 4%, in France from about 36% to about 10%, in 3-4 decades. During the same span, poverty in Canada is down to about a fourth of what it used to be.
The implementation in the USA has been the biggest of mixed bags, and consequently the least effective of all, but still significantly effective. The poverty rate is down to about half of what it used to be before the social programs were put in place about four decades ago.
I'm a moderate/left leaning voter and I believe they do not. I don't believe that public housing should be available for life. People work very hard in the city I live in to try and afford a home. I don't think it is fair that someone gets into public housing, and stays there for life. The incentive is not there to improve. I want limits on all public assistance, including housing. I firmly believe that the govt should be there to help you when you hit a bad patch in life, but then you only have so many years, like maybe 5 max, to get your life back in order. What we have now are generations of people collecting benefit. Wrong. And based on informal polls I've taken with friends, we are all pretty much in agreement that the current unlimited public housing benefit doesn't work.
It doesn't work because it "creates poverty." The "helping hand" becomes a permanent obstacle to improving one's life. In this way government programs meant to help poor people simply creates more of it by trapping people and thier children in poverty. You and I are not so far from each other on this issue.
Are government programs effective in getting people out of poverty? If you think "yes" can you give some examples. If you think "no" why do you think we keep pouring money into programs that don't work?
If you were to look at the War on Poverty the answer is yes:
Kennedy-Johnson
Americans Below The Poverty Level
1961 - 39.628 million 1968 - 25.389 million decrease 35.93%
Overall Population Growth
1961 - 181.277 million 1968 - 197.628 million increase 9.02%
During the Kennedy-Johnson Administration poverty DECREASED about four times faster than the population grew.
If you look at the history of Americans and the percentage of Americans living below the poverty level in the past 50 years there has been a steady downward trend sometime interrupted by recessions until the Bush 43 Administration when poverty started to trend upward.
all it does is make people More dependant on the assistance! How it is structured it is not meant to help.
it doesnt help them at all. they just get used to not working and getting what they want for free. ive personaly seen a lady buy a cart full of ho-ho's and pepsi completly on food stamps.
Are government programs effective in getting people out of poverty? If you think "yes" can you give some examples. If you think "no" why do you think we keep pouring money into programs that don't work?
No, because it makes poverty comfortable and creates generations of people who make it a lifestyle.
We keep doing it because the thought of letting people fend for themselves or starve is hard to live with. We also throw them bones in an attempt to curb crime.
However, I can't understand why the idea of making all people earn their keep and helping them only on their way up is such anathema to some people.
It doesn't work because it "creates poverty." The "helping hand" becomes a permanent obstacle to improving one's life. In this way government programs meant to help poor people simply creates more of it by trapping people and thier children in poverty. You and I are not so far from each other on this issue.
I'm sure you can back up your claim with data that proves poverty rate in the USA has gone up since the implementation of major social programs?
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