POLS Exam 3 Notes 04 18 2016 Chapter 17 The Politics of Poverty Welfare and Health How Many Poor Episodic Poverty Poverty conditions that are temporary hard times occurring for a brief time o situational Chronic Poverty Permanent persistent poverty conditions o Generational inescapable Official Poverty Rate The percentage of the population whose annual cash income falls below that which is required according to the federal government to maintain a decent standard of living Variations among the States Who are the Poor Family Structure Feminization of poverty The concept that poverty is most common among female headed families Race Ethnicity Minorities are generally poorer than whites o Hispanics Age The aged experience less poverty than the younger population o Fewer seniors more young o Big percentage is under 18 Wealth Income not wealth is considered while calculating poverty Official Poverty Rate Percentage of the population whose annual cash income falls below that which is required according to the federal government to maintain a decent standard of living you need to make 2 3x the national policy level just to get by oppurtunistic for the states why is there such variation in poverty levels in the states Ultimate question State structure of programs Type of economy Type of taxes income An Overview of Welfare Policy Social Security Unemployment Compensation Supplemental Security Income Family Assistance Food Stamps SNAP Earned Income Tax Credit Other Social Programs Welfare reform Officially it refers to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF program enacted in 1996 which included the devolution of responsibility for cash assistance programs to the states Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF Federal aid for state programs of cash assistance to poor families It replaced the AFDC federal entitlement program Provisions Individual Mandate Employer Mandate Medicaid Expansion Health Insurance Exchanges Taxes No Public Option Costs Coverage Required for pre existing conditons no lifetime limits required for kids of covered parents until 26 must provide mental health benefits Tort Reform Missing What is this Suing someone for malpractice Why was it not included Takeaways Real poverty promlem is not the same as the sterotype o Children make up bulk of impoverished population o Poverty measure is highly misleading as to extent of problem States are constantly looking to reform social programs to reduce costs Poverty and HC costs are directly related Chapter 16 Education Goals in Educational Policy Educating Citizens as a national priority o Predates the U S Constitution 1787 o Public education to be universal free and compulsory Advancing Social Goals o Socialization into patriotism responsibility work ethic obedience of laws etc Strengthening the Economy o 3 R s as foundations of a workforce o STEM excellence as key to technology dominance o but research finds on a weak link between ed spending and economic growth Educational Performance Measurement Measures matter o What are the measurable inputs and outputs of the educational system Input K 1st prelim tests Output grad rates TAKS test scores Educational Attainment is a time measure not performance The Dropout Rate o Event dropouts Annual number of students who stop attending in 10 12th grades o Status dropouts Cumulative number of all young adults who have not completed high school o High School graduation rate often now calculated using cohorts that track every new 9th grader throughout high school years are adjusted for students transferring in out SAT Scores Verbal math and writing scores obtained on the national College Board Scholastic Assessment Test required for admission to many colleges and universities Educational Reform There is no evidence that increased spending on education improves student performance Really Some studies claim this others say no dramatic increase or no proportional increase Magnet Schools Schools emphasizing instruction in particular areas in an effort to improve quality and attract students Examples Charter Schools Schools operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or other granting agency Often given waivers from certain requirements to enable innovation The Debate over School Vouchers Vouchers public funds for education at school of parents choice The Pro Voucher Argument Competition makes anything better o Enhances achievement Opposition to Vouchers Takes the collective out of the collective good o Struggling schools lose students and funding worsening conditions there Voters Reject Vouchers Public educators have had some success in opposing o 1993 CA voters voted down a ballot initiative Vouchers as a Constitutional Issue o Separation of church and state government can t be used to fund religious education o SCOTUS government school vouchers can be used at religious schools because government payment given to parents not religious organization Virtual Schools A school where classes are taught entirely through online methods which can be attended by the student at any location by logging on to their computers and receiving instructions over the Internet Two formats Fully online classes All course instruction and activities are completed via computer Blended learning classes Virtual school courses that combine inperson and online instruction Chapter 14 The Politics of Taxation and Finance Taxation fiscal policy FP Management of governmental money Government manipulates how much you earn Monetary policy supply of money in the system An Overview of Government Finances The federal government spends 3 5 trillion annually state and local governments an additional 1 6 trillion Growth of government spending Gross domestic product GDP is the total value of all the goods and services produced in the United States in a year a measure of the size of the U S economy State and local government spending State and local governments direct most of their spending toward education social services welfare and health public safety police and fire and transportation spending patterns are different between states and local governments o Education Social services 70 80 Why is there such a large debt Deficet spending As your income goes up the more you have to pay in taxes goes up 2 quarters of negative growth recession o 4 straight depression retrospective voting voting bc of past performance Types of Taxes and Politics Local property taxes