A social safety net has advantages and disadvantages.
One in every seven Americans, approximately 40 million, United States residents lived in poverty in 2009, according to the Census Bureau. Social welfare programs such as unemployment insurance aim to keep the number of people living in poverty under control. The debate over whether the advantages of having these programs outweighs the disadvantages has people leaning both ways.
Decreased Crime
A social safety net decreases people's desire to steal, proponents say. People without economic assistance often can't afford the items they need. They are also more prone to doing drugs, which can create perpetual problems of poverty as addictions escalate into social groups and families, some social observers claim. The poverty continues because poor people often can't afford contraception, some experts say.
Cost
The cost of providing a social welfare program is a great burden to the government and taxpayers, opponents say. Approximately 20 percent of federal government spending was on the military in 2006, according to MSNBC. Roughly the same amount was spent on the social safety net, not including health care, a line item that also uses about 20 percent of the overall budget. Social services costs a considerable amount to regulate. The number of bureaucrats that facilitate the services often outweighs the benefits that are paid, opponents claim.
Improved Economy
Advocates for a social safety net say it helps the overall economy. If some money is kept circulating into the general population through programs for the unemployed and the needy a portion of those funds will go into buying goods, some economists note. Those sales keep businesses afloat even in recessionary times, those economists claim. When economic pressures begin to ease and employment climbs, the federal government will, in theory, reclaim the money it spent to help the poor, in increased income tax revenue, those economists say.
Erosion of Work Ethic
Many people consider the social safety net as a deterrent for people to get jobs because it allows them to receive money without working. In some situations, social welfare is enough to pay the bills. This can increase the unemployment rate and cause a lack of workers, social safety net opponents say. Some industries in areas of the country often struggle to meet the need for workers because some people receiving social security checks aren't motivated to find work, opponents claim.
Tags: social safety, federal government, often afford, opponents claim, social welfare, those economists