Term Papers on Workfare

Term Paper Title	Workfare
# of Words	1672
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	6.69

Workfare

Throughout President Clinton's term of office there have been numerous controversial issues that have been the
topics for many debates. None of them has been as controversial or debated as much as the idea of "Workfare". The
debate is not whether to have it, for both sides believe that it is a good idea, its how to structure and enforce it that
has fueled all of the debate.
The idea of changing "Welfare" into "Workfare" has been around for many years. During President Clinton's tenure,
both the Democratic and Republican parties had their own separate ideas on "Workfare" and how it should be
implemented. When it came down to making a final decision, President Clinton compromised both sides to come to
one final program. It is this compromise that is getting both sides to argue. One of these views is that Clinton's
policy of "Workfare" is a great step in the right direction. The other side believes that this is "The worst thing Bill
Clinton had done."
Many people have the idea of welfare as people not working and leaching off the system while other people work
hard to support them. The welfare system as we know it was getting worse and worse. There have been some
families that have been on welfare for many many years. The idea of welfare was to give "temporary" help to those
who need it. But the problem was that this "temporary" help was becoming "permanent" to many families. President
Clinton's new policy was going to end all of that and make these people the new members of the workforce. "It will
offer a better life for the millions of welfare recipients whose long-term dependency upon the federal government
has denied them the opportunity to support themselves and their families in the most opportunity-laden society
civilization has ever created."
The rules to Clinton's policy are pretty simple but are also very strict. After being on the benefits for two years, the
head of the household has to start working unless that person has been given an exception by the state, for some kind
of reason, like having a baby under the age of one. If a state wants they can require that a welfare recipient do
community service after getting welfare for two months. This policy will try to rid the welfare system of fraudulent
people. An example would be if you were a healthy person without any kids, and out of a job, you could only get the
benefits for three months in any three year period. (The only way you can receive more food stamps is if you were
laidoff.) Clinton's program has a strict timeline to it. Twenty five percent of welfare recipients will be working by
1997 to reach a requirement set by the states to comply with the bill. By the turn of the century, that state
requirement reaches 50 percent. Single parents must wor!
k at least 20 hours a week in 1996 and 30 hours by the turn of the century. Two parent families would have to work
35 hours a week. If a state doesn't comply with these rules, they would be penalized and have grants taken away
from them. There is now a 5-year limit for being on welfare, this will curve the people who think they can live off
welfare for the rest of their lives. According to many studies and polls, the timeline that Clinton proposed can be
achieved and will not be that big of a stretch.
Congress compromised all of their ideas to come up with a bill that will help the welfare system. Some of the
provisions they added were: more funds, especially to child care programs, made states give Medicaid to all people
who qualified for welfare under the current way, gave states the option to give Medicaid to immigrants in the
country already, and increased a safety net provision exempting 20 percent of welfare families from that 5 year
lifetime limit. Clinton also helped with his own ideas and spins on the changes: left food stamps as a federal
entitlement, tough limits on aid to legal immigrants (like no longer letting them qualify for food stamps or
Supplemental Security Income). According to Clinton's plan, this new pr...

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