Social Welfare Policy and History Practice Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing social welfare history, categories, acronyms, theories, and policy milestones for SWK 240.

What is social welfare policy as defined in the SWK 240 course material?

Anything the government chooses to do or not do that affects people's quality of life.

What are the four major categories of social welfare policy?

Public assistance, social insurance, social services, and civil rights legislation.

What is the primary difference between a means-tested program and a universal program?

Eligibility for a means-tested program depends on income or financial need (such as TANF), whereas a universal program is broadly available to individuals who meet eligibility rules regardless of income (such as Social Security).

What is the difference between a cash benefit and an in-kind benefit?

A cash benefit provides money that the recipient can generally use to meet needs, while an in-kind benefit provides a specific good or service, such as food assistance or medical coverage.

What are the six conditions required for rational policy creation?

1) Identify the problem; 2) agree it needs to be resolved; 3) know and weigh social values; 4) identify alternatives; 5) understand consequences, costs, and benefits; and 6) choose the alternative maximizing net values.

What is a spillover effect in social welfare policy?

An effect of a policy that reaches people or groups beyond the intended target group.

How do 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations differ regarding lobbying and political activity?

501(c)(3) organizations include charitable, religious, educational, and scientific nonprofits. 501(c)(4) organizations are social welfare organizations that can generally engage in more lobbying and political activity subject to applicable rules.

What is SSDI, in what year was it established, and under which president?

Social Security Disability Insurance was established in 1956 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower to provide Social Security benefits to eligible workers with sufficient work history who become disabled.

What does SNAP stand for, and what was its original name when passed in 1964?

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; it was originally named the Food Stamp Program under President Lyndon B. Johnson.

What does SSI stand for, when was it legislated, and when did benefits begin?

Supplemental Security Income; legislated in 1972 under President Richard Nixon, benefits began in 1974 to provide cash assistance to elderly, blind, or disabled individuals with limited income and resources.

What program did TANF replace in 1996, and what core requirements were introduced?

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) replaced AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) under President Bill Clinton, emphasizing work requirements, time limits, and state responsibility.

When did the federal WIC program begin, and under which presidential administration?

The federal WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) program began in 1974 during Gerald Ford's presidency.

What is CHIP and what specific group does it assist?

Children's Health Insurance Program (established in 1997 under President Bill Clinton); it provides health insurance coverage for eligible children whose families earn too much for Medicaid but have difficulty affording private insurance.

What is LIHEAP, when was it established, and under which president?

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; established in 1981 under President Ronald Reagan to help eligible low-income households with home energy costs.

What is FICA and how does it relate to Social Security?

Federal Insurance Contributions Act (established in 1935 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt); it is the paycheck tax system used to finance Social Security and Medicare, not Social Security itself.

What does COLA stand for, and when did automatic annual adjustments begin?

Cost-of-Living Adjustment; legislated in 1972 under President Richard Nixon, automatic annual adjustments began in 1975 to adjust Social Security benefits for inflation.

What is PPACA/ACA, when was it passed, and under which president?

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also called Affordable Care Act); passed in 2010 under President Barack Obama to expand health insurance access and reform the U.S. health-care system.

What is DACA, and what primary policy area does it represent?

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (established in 2012 under President Barack Obama); it provides eligible individuals brought to the U.S. as children with deferred removal action and work authorization, categorized primarily as an immigration policy.

How was social support provided during Medieval Europe (476–1400s)?

Mostly provided through the Catholic Church, mutual aid, feudal lords, and local communities/gentry, with no modern federal welfare system.

What was the Statute of Laborers (1351) and why was it enacted?

An English law created after the Black Death labor shortages that attempted to control labor and wages by requiring able-bodied people to work and restricting begging and relief.

What distinction between poor populations was established by the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601?

It distinguished between the 'deserving poor' (elderly, sick, disabled, orphans, unable to work) and the 'undeserving/able-bodied poor' (able-bodied individuals capable of working, beggars, vagrants).

What were the historical practices of 'warning out' and 'passing on'?

'Warning out' involved telling or forcing poor nonresidents to leave a community so the local community would not have to support them financially. 'Passing on' involved escorting poor people back to their home communities.

How did the American Civil War (1861–1865) contribute to early social welfare assistance?

The large number of injured veterans, widows, and orphans created financial needs that led to the development of military pensions and assistance.

How did Charity Organization Societies (COS) and Settlement Houses differ in their approach to poverty?

Charity Organization Societies (COS) focused on the individual by investigating applicants and sending 'Friendly Visitors' to offer guidance, whereas Settlement Houses focused on the community/environment by providing services, education, and advocacy in poor urban neighborhoods.

What two major concepts influenced views on poverty during the Victorian Era?

The Puritan Work Ethic (viewing hard work as a moral responsibility) and Social Darwinism (applying 'survival of the fittest' concepts to society).

What question shift characterized thinking about poverty during the Progressive Era (1890s–1920)?

Reformers shifted from asking 'What's wrong with the person?' to asking 'What's wrong with society?'

What impact did the Great Depression have on public perceptions of poverty?

It challenged the idea that poverty was always caused by individual behavior, demonstrating that economic crises could render hard-working, employed, and frugal people poor.

What were the three overarching goals of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal?

Relief, recovery, and reform.

What federal standards were established by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938?

Minimum wage, maximum work hours, and child labor restrictions.

What main approach characterized Ronald Reagan's 'New Federalism'?

Shifting responsibility for social welfare programs from the federal government back toward the states, emphasizing block grants, supply-side economics, and privatization.

Who developed the official U.S. poverty threshold and what was the original formula?

Developed by Mollie Orshansky, a Social Security Administration statistician, using the formula $\text{Low-cost food budget} \times 3$.

What is the formula used to calculate an income deficit (poverty gap)?

$$\text{Income deficit} = \text{poverty threshold} - \text{family income}$$

What is the difference between poverty thresholds and poverty guidelines?

Poverty thresholds are used by the Census Bureau to measure and count poverty populations, while poverty guidelines are used by federal agencies (such as HHS/USDA) to determine program eligibility.

What are the four major theories of poverty discussed in SWK 240?

Human capital theory, culture of poverty theory, exploitation theory, and structural/institutional theory.

Which theory explains poverty as a generational way of life involving alienation, apathy, and indifference?

Culture of poverty theory.

What policy example is connected to the structural/institutional theory of poverty in the course text?

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

What three sources make up the 'three-legged stool' of retirement income?

Social Security, employer/private retirement, and personal savings.

Why is the Social Security portion of FICA tax regressive while Social Security benefits are progressive?

The FICA tax is regressive because it only applies up to a taxable wage base cap, taking a larger share of income from lower earners. Benefits are progressive because the formula replaces a larger percentage of prior earnings for lower-paid workers.

What is the Social Security dependency ratio today versus the projected ratio for 2030?

The ratio is about $3.3$ workers per beneficiary today, and projected to drop to about $2.2$ workers per beneficiary around $2030$.

What Donald Trump administration policies and actions are listed in the SWK 240 study guide?

2018 welfare review executive order, First Step Act, opioid legislation, child separation policy, Remain in Mexico policy, and transgender military ban.

What Joe Biden administration policies and actions are listed in the SWK 240 study guide?

American Rescue Plan 2021, Child Tax Credit changes, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 2021, Juneteenth federal holiday, and proposed Build Back Better, gun-control, and voting-rights measures.