Section 1: Introduction and Situational Analysis
Poverty has become an issue of grave concern in the American society. America is one of the wealthiest states worldwide. The nation produces more capita as compared to other industrial countries. Nonetheless, despite this wealth and the immense efforts put to decrease the levels of income inequality, poverty has dramatically increased in the nation. According to Paul, Darity Jr, Hamilton, & Zaw (2018), t he augmented poverty rates can be attributed to the high levels of unemployment, as well as the lack of professional skills in many citizens, which is a core requirement for job acquisition. Consequently, the state of America has faced a number of ethical dilemmas with regards to its support programs for the poor.
Initially, the Temporary Assistance Program was developed to support the poor through the provision of financial assistance to those individuals who satisfied the eligibility criteria for TANF. The support provided by this entity enabled poor families to sustain themselves, at least in terms of the most basic wants. Nonetheless, over the course of years, the system has undergone tremendous changes which have negatively impacted the needy individuals who rely on the assistance provided. The support that was previously offered has been replaced by block grants which are provided to the American States so that each can develop its welfare programs. In addition, the grants are limited to a certain amount of money which impedes the states from making additional expenditures, if the grants provided are entirely spent.
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In addition, TANF beneficiaries are required to work for pay as opposed to being provided free support or enroll in various training programs which are offered by the program, to acquire skills in multiple fields, needed to secure employment. The new system has impacted a decline in the number of people who receive welfare benefits. An ethical dilemma has emerged as a result of the new changes that have been made to the program. The fact that the beneficiaries of TANF are forced to work on pay in order to get the assistance inhibits them from securing other jobs and earning additional income. A few years back, the program was useful since it supported poor women with low income as a result of divorce as well as those who have the responsibility of raising children despite their financial situation, and the widowed.
As a result, these women were able to secure low paying jobs and increase their income since the program offered them with financial assistance. Back then, the policies of TANF were far more effective since they did not restrict the poor from earning additional income. The current system impedes individuals from obtaining a sustainable income since it forces them to work, in order to be assisted. As a result, the opportunity that these individuals once had to secure other employment opportunities is lost, forcing them to depend solely on the little they earn ( Shaefer, Wu, & Edin, 2017). Furthermore, the assistance is only limited to five years which means that even if individuals are able to sustain themselves for a limited time, they will go back to poverty in the course of five years. The new adjustments to the program have worsened the poverty situation in the state.
Section 2: Stakeholder Analysis
The primary stakeholders of the ethical dilemma identified in the first section are women who have inadequate income following divorce, widowhood, retirement, as well as single mothers. The new transformations in TANF policies will have an adverse impact especially on single women who have children to cater for. The women will be forced to work in a single job in the program without any extra financial assistance, and time to work in different places. As a result, these individuals will be unable to earn enough to meet the diverse needs of their children. Concurrently, they are bound to get poorer. Nonetheless, the program will also have a positive impact on these women. The training offered by TANF, for instance, will equip these women with the professional skills that are required to secure sustainable employment and earn lucrative incomes. Consequently, women would be more independent and a reduction in poverty levels would be seen.
Section 3: Analysis Based on Ethical Theories
Based on the utilitarian theory, the new policies imposed by TANF are unethical since they fail to promote the highest good. The fact that people are forced to work in order to get financial aid from the program inhibits individuals from getting extra money to support themselves and their families. In addition, the five year limit for financial assistance means that the beneficiaries of the program will return to their initial poverty-stricken state after the end of the five years. Consequently, this would do people more harm than good. From a utilitarian perspective, these actions are unethical since they fail to promote the greatest good for the poor ( Baumane-Vitolina, Cals, & Sumilo, 2016 ). The ethically right move would be to offer free lifetime support to those who meet the TANF eligibility criteria. In addition, the actions would also be ethical if the beneficiaries were not forced to work for pay, allowing them to secure jobs elsewhere and earn additional incomes, while still getting the extra support.
Section 5: Conclusion and Recommendations
Poverty has become a never-ending war in America. The high rates of unemployment can be attributed to this poverty prevalence. It is crucial for the American government to implement favorable policies to support programs to decrease the levels of poverty in the state. For instance, free support should be provided as opposed to working for pay. In addition, free training should be provided to TANF beneficiaries to equip them with professional skills which are required in the labor market. Consequently, the poor would be able to acquire financial support, as well as work and earn additional incomes. Concurrently, the levels of poverty would decline.
References
Baumane-Vitolina, I., Cals, I., & Sumilo, E. (2016). Is Ethics Rational? Teleological, Deontological and Virtue Ethics Theories Reconciled in the Context of Traditional Economic Decision Making. Procedia Economics and Finance , 39 , 108-114.
Paul, M., Darity Jr, W., Hamilton, D., & Zaw, K. (2018). A Path to Ending Poverty by Way of Ending Unemployment: A Federal Job Guarantee. RSF .
Shaefer, H. L., Wu, P., & Edin, K. (2017). Can poverty in America be compared to conditions in the world's poorest countries?. American Journal of Medical Research , 4 (1), 84.
