The hottest Social programs Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top U.S. Politics Topics

The least we can do

Popular Information • 9139 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Tax policy Social programs Legislation Bipartisanship Opinion Pieces
  1. The Child Tax Credit was expanded in 2021, leading to a significant drop in child poverty.
  2. There are efforts to extend and expand the Child Tax Credit again, but face opposition from corporate lobbyists.
  3. The proposed expansion of the Child Tax Credit is tied to extensions of business tax cuts, which are critiqued for benefiting profitable companies.

Don't overthink poverty in the United States

Slow Boring • 5660 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Poverty Conservatives Social programs
  1. The US welfare state programs are effective but not generous enough, which leads to high poverty rates.
  2. Official poverty measurements may not accurately reflect the impact of anti-poverty programs, resulting in a lack of recognition for progress made in poverty reduction.
  3. Conservative ideas about poverty often focus on high market wages as the solution, ignoring the realities of different vulnerable populations and the effectiveness of welfare programs.

Debt-Ceiling Theater Masks True Depth of DC's Red Ink

Stark Realities with Brian McGlinchey • 452 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government National Debt Fiscal policy Social programs
  1. Americans are misled about the true depth of the government's financial disorder.
  2. The federal government's actual liabilities are far higher than the reported national debt figures.
  3. Understanding the true national debt would lead to questioning unsustainable social benefits, costly foreign interventions, and big-spending proposals.

The Friedman-lite welfare state and how to make the most of it

Hypertext • 99 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social programs
  1. Milton Friedman's idea of a negative income tax failed to gain political traction, but it paved the way for modern welfare state reforms focusing on refundable child tax credits and in-work tax credits to support low-income households.
  2. Despite the global spread of ideas related to negative income tax, most rich democracies, including the United States, struggle with implementing it due to cultural distinctions between deserving and undeserving poor.
  3. Friedman's concept of a negative income tax still holds promise, but its success is hindered not just by economic considerations, but also by political, institutional, and sociological factors that need to be addressed when designing welfare policies.
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Redistribution of wealth in the bipartisan budget agreement

Speaking Security • 294 implied HN points • 08 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social programs Political Impact
  1. The bipartisan budget agreement includes significant cuts to social programs, potentially leading to more austerity measures in the future.
  2. The bill imposes more work requirements on SNAP, reducing program participation and decreasing food aid.
  3. While social welfare programs face cuts, the agreement favors corporate welfare, allocating substantial funds to the arms industry.

Reconsidering Milton Friedman and the negative income tax

Hypertext • 59 implied HN points • 15 Nov 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Poverty Economics Social programs Neoliberalism
  1. The NIT proposed by Friedman could have advantages in targeting poverty by providing cash transfers without distorting the market.
  2. Friedman's NIT plan was not fully accepted due to various factors such as concerns about work incentives, opposition from special interest groups, and the perception of it being a neoliberal initiative.
  3. There is ongoing interest in income floor ideas like the NIT and UBI today, but there are distinctions between the two models and challenges in gaining support for the NIT concept.

Instead of targeting welfare, charge after-the-fact

Splitting Infinity • 19 implied HN points • 18 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Welfare Taxation Social programs Privacy Concerns
  1. Consider charging people for welfare aid after they have received it, managed by the IRS on tax day. This could streamline the process and save on administrative costs.
  2. Using the IRS to handle welfare targeting can provide a more cost-effective and efficient way to assist those in need, by utilizing existing data and payment systems.
  3. Implementing a retroactive welfare eligibility system could help quicken aid distribution and potentially increase tax revenue, while also maintaining accountability and transparency.

When ‘can’t miss’ programs fail

Hypertext • 0 implied HN points • 27 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social programs Government funding Innovation Research Methods
  1. Experimentation and evaluation are crucial in discovering effective social solutions; funding should consider reinvestment in programs with null results for improvements.
  2. Interpreting null findings from programs is important; reasons for ineffectiveness could range from program inefficacy to delivery issues or changing environments.
  3. Being cautious in prioritizing 'evidence-based' programs is necessary; it may hinder innovation and obstruct the quest for better solutions.