Welfare Reform

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The fight over welfare reform has been a central issue of society, predominantly in campaigns. The question raised when talking about such a reform is the effect it will have on those who use the system. Daniel Casse, a former senior director of the White House Writers Group says that many people have came off the system without many negative effects since the reform of 1996. However, social work professor David Stoesz says there is nothing positive about reform's entirety.

Casse says that reform is working and benefits the poor. After being involved with the program, he says "[m]ost of these former recipients have gone successfully into full- or part-time jobs, while others...have voluntarily dropped out of the system". (Finsterbusch 226) He goes on to say that a less proportion of people were on welfare in 1997 than in 1970. This shows the positive effects of the reform in 1996.

Casse does input some information about possible set backs of the system. He says "...no one knows how states will manage if regional economies start to fizzle, depriving former welfare recipients of their jobs". (229) Throughout his position, Casse makes it a point to say that each state will have their own say about their own state-wide welfare and public assistance laws and regulations. Although there may be nationwide reform, the magnitude of reform is subject to the states approval.

Casse says that there is something that distinguishes the current reform from all others. "[I]t has forced both federal and state governments to take seriously the idea that welfare policy can deter, or encourage, behavior". (231) This statement shows how reform is beginning to effect people in ways that the welfare policy might help them to choose to get off of the system for themselves. This would be a positive...