gov chapter 19 vocab

social security act

social security act

first u.s legislation, in 1935, providing for an income transfer program

medicaid

federally funded program that provides health care for the poor

end poverty in california plan

a feature of upton sinclair’s gubernatorial platform

medicare

legislation enacted in 1965 providing medical insurance for the elderly

TANF

financial assistance to the poor that replaced the AFDC program

mother’s pension

pre-1935 state program to aid widows with children

almshouses

pre-1935 state-run or locally run homes for the poor

share our wealth plan

huey long’s proposal to redistributr income in the United States

charitable choice

refers to religious non-profit organizations that compete for government grants to administer federal welfare-to-work related policies

townsend plan

pre-social security proposal that was popular because it aimed to provide financial support to elderly people

UI

benefits paid weekly to laid-off workers unable to find jobs

old age, survivors, and disability insurance

also known as social security

AFDC

former federally funded program that made payments to poor families with children

SSI

cash payments to poor people who are aged, blind, or disabled

food stamps

vouchers given to the poor to buy food at grocery stores

indexing

the mechanism by which payments rise automatically when costs do

charles murray

claimed high welfare benefits made it more attractive for some to go on welfare than to look for a job

means test

a proviso that only those below a specified poverty level qualify for a program

majoritarian politics

policy-making in which almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays

service strategy

an approach to welfare that aims to give poor people job training or government jobs rather than money

medicare catastrophic coverage act

legislation adopted in 1988 to protect the elderly against the costs of long-term medical care, later repealed

client politics

policy-making in which relatively few people benefit but everybody pays

income strategy

an approach to welfare in which poor people are given money

assistance program

a program financed by income taxes that provides benefits to poor citizens without requiring contributions from them

insurance program

a self-financing program based on contributions that provides benefits to unemployed or retired persons

earned income tax credit

a provision of the 1975 tax law that entitles working families with children to receive money if their incomes fall below a certain level