Chapter 17 – The Politics of Poverty, Welfare, and HealthHow Many Poor?Episodic Poverty: Poverty conditions that are temporary; hard times occurring for a brief time.situationalChronic Poverty: Permanent, persistent poverty conditions.Generational; inescapableOfficial 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 StatesWho 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.HispanicsAge The aged experience less poverty than the younger population.Fewer seniors, more youngBig percentage is under 18Wealth Income, not wealth, is considered while calculating poverty.Official Poverty RatePercentage 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 stateswhy is there such variation in poverty levels in the states?Ultimate questionState structure of programsType of economyType of taxes (income)An Overview of Welfare PolicySocial SecurityUnemployment CompensationSupplemental Security IncomeFamily AssistanceFood Stamps (SNAP)Earned Income Tax CreditOther Social ProgramsWelfare reformOfficially, 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.ProvisionsIndividual MandateEmployer MandateMedicaid ExpansionHealth Insurance ExchangesTaxesNo “Public Option”CostsCoverageRequired for pre-existing conditonsno lifetime limitsrequired for kids of covered parents until 26must provide mental health benefitsTort Reform MissingWhat is this? Suing someone for malpracticeWhy was it not included?TakeawaysReal poverty promlem is not the same as the sterotypeChildren make up bulk of impoverished populationPoverty measure is highly misleading as to extent of problemStates are constantly looking to “reform” social programs to reduce costsPoverty and HC costs are directly related___Chapter 16 – EducationGoals in Educational PolicyEducating Citizens as a national priorityPredates the U.S. Constitution (1787)Public education to be “universal, free, and compulsory”Advancing Social GoalsSocialization into patriotism, responsibility, work ethic, obedience of laws, etc.Strengthening the Economy“3 R’s” as foundations of a workforce?STEM excellence as key to technology dominance?…but research finds on a weak link between ed spending and economic growthEducational Performance MeasurementMeasures matter!What are the measurable inputs and outputs of the educational system?Input: K/1st prelim testsOutput: grad rates/TAKS test scoresEducational Attainment is a time measure (not performance)The Dropout RateEvent dropouts – Annual number of students who stop attending in 10-12th gradesStatus dropouts – Cumulative number of all young adults who have not completed high schoolHigh School graduation rate often now calculated using cohorts that track every new 9th grader throughout high school years; are adjusted for students transferring in/outSAT Scores: Verbal, math, and writing scores obtained on the national College Board Scholastic Assessment Test, required for admission to many colleges and universitiesEducational 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 studentsExamples?Charter Schools: Schools operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or other granting agencyOften given waivers from certain requirements to enable innovationThe Debate over School VouchersVouchers = public funds for education at school of parents’ choiceThe Pro-Voucher Argument: “Competition makes anything better!”Enhances achievementOpposition to Vouchers: “Takes the ‘collective’ out of the collective good”Struggling schools lose students and funding, worsening conditions thereVoters Reject Vouchers: Public educators have had some success in opposing1993: CA voters voted down a ballot initiativeVouchers as a Constitutional IssueSeparation of church and state: government $$ can’t be used to fund religious educationSCOTUS: government school vouchers can be used at religious schools, because government payment given to parents, not religious organizationVirtual SchoolsA 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 in-person and online instruction.Chapter 14 – The Politics of Taxation and FinanceTaxation = fiscal policyFP = Management of governmental moneyGovernment manipulates how much you earnMonetary policy – supply of money in the systemAn Overview of Government FinancesThe 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. economyState 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 governmentsEducation & Social services (~~70-80%)Why is there such a large debt? Deficet spendingAs your income goes up, the more you have to pay in taxes goes up2 quarters of negative growth = recession4 straight = depressionretrospective voting = voting bc of past performanceTypes of