Chapter 19 Study Guide – Making Social Policy
· The Role of Government in Social Policy
o How do Republicans feel about the federal government’s role in social policy?
o How do Democrats feel about the federal government’s role in social policy?
o What is the definition of unfunded mandates?
§ What do these force state governments to do?
· The Early History of Social Policy in the United States
o What is rugged individualism?
o What is the definition of entitlements?
§ What was the nation’s first such program?
o What is the definition of means-tested entitlements?
· Types of Social Policy
o www.cfda.gov – lists all 1,425 domestic funding programs
o The Goals of Social Policy
§ What is categorical aid?
§ federal domestic policy focuses on two goals:
· 1.
o What is an example of this goal?
o www.dol.gov – inventory of federal programs for helping workers
· 2.
o What is an example of this goal?
§ Types of Protection
· 2 types of federal programs to protect Americans against hardship
o 1. public assistance –
§ Most of these programs are categorized as what?
§ What is a means test?
§ What does public assistance include?
o 2. social insurance –
§ What is this based on?
· The Expansion of Social Policy in the Twentieth Century
o When did the federal government’s commitment to helping the poor and improving the quality of life for Americans begin?
o The New Deal
§ Explain the importance of the New Deal in regards to social policy:
§ What is the definition of Social Security?
· When was it created?
· How is Social Security financed?
· Describe the problem currently facing the Social Security system and why this problem has occurred:
o The Great Society
§ Who led this great expansion of social policy?
§ What effect did these programs have on the federal government?
§ What are the programs created by the Great Society that still exist today?
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§ What other important changes were produced by Great Society?
o Reforming Welfare
§ How did President Clinton in 1996 work to reform the welfare system?
· How did this change how welfare is administered?
o What are block grants?
· Social Policy Challenges for the Future: Health, Education, and Safety
o The Federal Role in Health Care
§ What are some of the organizations designed to improve the nation’s health?
§ Federal government faces two major health care challenges in the future:
· 1.
· 2.
§ Proposals for health care reform:
· What is the definition of Single-payer?
o What sort of coverage would this provide?
· What is the definition of Prepaid health plans?
o What is the definition of health maintenance organization (HMO)?
§ What do critics say about HMOs?
· What is the definition of Employer-mandated coverage?
· What is the definition of Spending caps?
· What is the definition of Individual responsibility for coverage?
· What is the definition of Medical savings account?
o The Federal Role in Education
§ K-12 is seen as a state and local responsibility, thus most children go to public schools run by local school boards and funded by property taxes
· What has been the result of this system?
§ In 1964 what program did Congress start?
§ What are the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act?
o The Federal Role in Crime Control
§ controlling crime is also considered mainly a state and local matter
§ What role does the federal government pay in crime control?
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