Anthony Ledesma, Nathan Vacio, Miguel and Gustavo Mata

CHAPTER 18

IMMIGRATION

• The movement of people to another country with the intention to remain there• Older than the nation itself.• Been an issue for decades in American politics.

IMMIGRATION

• One of the most important ways for a nation to control its future. • Democratic governments make decisions about who can join

them as citizens, but cannot control how many children the citizens have.

IMMIGRATION POLICY

• All immigrants are Mexicans• Work in low-paying jobs

• Immigrants consume federal tax benefits without paying taxes.

• They are half-hearted Americans

STEREOTYPES

• Immigrants are:

• Hard-working

• Strong supporters of “American values”

• Eager to learn English as soon as possible.

• Only 1/3 of immigrants are Mexican while the remaining 2/3 consist of other immigrants.• 1 in 8 Californians was born in Mexico

• Some actually work in high tech jobs, often admitted to the U.S. because of special skills and are better educated than native-born American.

…IN REALITY

• After more than two centuries of immigration to the US, many Americans remain negative about immigration. • Only once did support for an increase in immigration reach

double digits, which was 11%.

IMMIGRATION POLICY & POLITICS: OLD AND NEW

• Cost American jobs and endangered national security, says Lou Dobbs.

• Are portrayed as "Illegal aliens” by critics

• Portrayed as “Undocumented workers” by sympathizers

• Legal vs. Illegal Immigrants• Legal: were citizens or held a visa.• Illegal: had no documentation.

IMMIGRANTS

• 2008- immigration politics is a sharp issue.• Candidates and parties walked a line between criticizing 12

million illegal immigrants. • Criticized without offending tens of millions of legal immigrants,

who could vote.

• In 2006, McCain joined Bush and Democratic senators to sponsor a major immigration reform bill.• Critics called it “Amnesty” for immigrants.

IMMIGRATION NEW

• For the first 100 years there was no immigration policy at all. • 14th Amendment, after the Civil War, clearly recognized that

immigrants could become citizens too.• Anyone who could afford a boat ticket to the US simply came.

• Until 1918, the US didn’t require a passport, people came, melted into the economy and eventually voted.

• In turn of the 20th century, Congress started restricting immigration in significant ways.

IMMIGRATION OLD

• 1924: Quota system for immigrants• Favored immigrants from: Northwestern Europe• Discouraged immigrants from: Latin America, Africa, Asia.• Reduced immigration to a fraction.

• After WWII , there was another boom in immigration.• mostly came from Mexico, Central America, and Cuba.

TAXATION ANDSOCIAL WELFARE

TYPES OF SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY• Entitlement Program• Benefits to individuals regardless of need• Rarely controversial

• Means-Tested Program• Benefits only to specific needs• More controversial • Position dependent on how people see the poor and the cases of

poverty. Government programs are uncontroversial when the poor are seen as victims of forces beyond their control. When they’re seen as responsible for their poverty, government programs are seen as encouraging dependency.

INCOME, POVERTY, AND PUBLIC POLICY• The nation’s income is divided into “shares” ranging

from poor to rich

• US Census Bureau is charged with determining the poverty line at an austere standard of living.

• The standard does not account for economic insecurity (chance of suddenly falling into a much lower income bracket)

• Government affects a person’s income through taxing powers and it’s expenditure policies

TAXATION• Progressive tax – the rich pay more

• Proportional tax – 50/50 for poor and rich

• Regressive tax – the poor pay more

• Earned Income Tax Credit – special tax benefit for working people who earn a low income

GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES• Transfer Payments (benefits given by the government

directly to the people)• Cash transfers – direct money• In-kind transfers – help through other means, i.e. Food Stamps

SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY ELSEWHERE

• Most established democracies tend to have more expensive and generous social welfare programs than the United States.

• Americans tend to see poverty and social welfare needs as individual concerns.

• European nations tend to support greater governmental responsibility for programs related to health, child care, unemployment, compensation, and the elderly.

• Taxes in Europe are higher to pay for their benefits.

UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY

• Democracy and Social Welfare• Competing demands are resolved by government decision makers.• Policymakers pay close attention to members of their legislative

constituents, members of their electoral coalitions, and members of their political party.

• Competing groups are unequal• e.g. The elderly are well organized and often have the resources needed to wield

significant influence in support of programs they desire. The poor vote less frequently and lack strong organizations and money.

• Policymaking is very incremental in nature.

UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY • Democracy and Social Welfare (cont.)

• Once put into place, policies engage supporters in the public, Congress, the bureaucracy, and key interest groups who pressure to expand, or at least keep, existing programs.

• These pressures exist even when the size and costs of programs go beyond anything originally envisioned.

• Social Welfare Policy and the Scope of Government• The growth in social welfare spending, particularly for Social

Security and Medicare, accounts for the increase in the scope of government in recent decades.

ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMSANDMEAN – TESTED PROGRAMS

• Most important origin of Welfare was the New Deal and the Social Security Act of 1935

• First quarter of implementation of welfare, the enrollment remained small.

• President Johnson implemented food stamps and other programs during his “war of poverty”

• President Reagan convinced Congress to cut welfare benefits because it encouraged them to not fix their problems or to go find a job.

• Stereotypically, African Americans were the face of of the welfare recipients.

WELFARE HISTORY

• Welfare reform bill in august

• Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act • Each state received a fixed amount of money• People on welfare would have to find work within 2 years or

lose all their benefits.• Lifetime maximum of five years on welfare• Name was changed from Aid to Families with Dependent

children to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

WELFARE REFORM OF 1996

• It is the most expensive public policy in the US

• Implemented under FDR’s New Deal

• Contributions by employees and employers go to the Social Security Trust Fund• 12.4% payroll tax

• Employee 6.2• Employer 6.2

• Social Security check = 1/3 of standard pay

• Since the creation of Social Security. Life expectancy has gone from 65 years to 78 years.

• This means that the group receiving Social Security is growing.

• Because of this, after a while, the Trust fund will inevitably deplete.

• Despite being the most expensive policy, it is not argued upon because it is an entitlement.

SOCIAL SECURITY

• 5/6 of the money put into social programs goes to programs that everyone is eligible for• Medicare• Social Security

• Entitlement programs provide benefits to people without regarding need.

• These programs are paid into, then late you acquire the money.

• Social Security and Medicare are the largest and most expensive social welfare programs in America.

ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS

• Name 2 entitlement Programs

• What is a common stereotype for immigrants?

• What does the immigration policy allow the government to do?

• What are the three types of taxes?

• After a policy is passed, what do interest groups push for?

• Name 1 need based program.

QUIZ

• 1. Social Security and Medicare

• 2. They are all Mexicans, they receive federal benefits without paying taxes

• 3. allows them to make a decision on who can join them as a citizen

• 4.Progressive, Proportional, Regressive

• 5. They push to expand programs

• 6. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

ANSWERS