welfare

As far as politics go, I am most interested in social issues. I've worked with various nonprofits throughout my high school career, and I'm interested in finding different ways to solve social problems. In this vein, I am most passionate about Welfare.

As the economy continues to remain stagnant (one could even argue it's worsening,) more and more people are looking to the Welfare system as a safety net to help them through difficult times. However, with the current gridlock in Congress, cuts to Welfare are being proposed. Obviously, this is a large problem. However, the focus, which until now has been on whether or not cuts to Welfare should be made, should be shifted to the question of how we can most efficiently provide aid to those in need.

The current system is overrun by bureaucratic issues and potential fraud on the part of recipients. It does not enourage transition or empowerment. Albeit, one could argue that some of these issues are due to income inequalities; however, that does not mean that we should let Welfare continue in its current state.

A study done by the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) suggests that programs that make finding employment mandatory, while incorporating small amounts of education and training, are perhaps the most effective. Though I'm not sure if this is the right answer, more trials need to be done and more methods tried to improve the system. Furthermore, I think that having the states control Welfare may be one way to make it more efficient and be able to better serve citizens' needs.

Welfare is crucial to the advancement of our society- without caring for those in need, we will fail to provide the children of America the skills they need to be contributing citizens in the future. And without ensuring that we are doing enough to provide for our neediest citizens, we will not be living up to the values our country was founded upon: equality, liberty, and providing every citizen the freedom to achieve his dreams. After all, as Mohatmas Gandhi said "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members."