Immigration and Welfare - Sophoz News
Today, we will explore what different political sides think of immigration and welfare
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Immigration
Right-wing
There is a lot of debate about border security and immigration in Washington. Both political parties agree that immigration is good for the economy. But there are contradictions.
The Democratic Party claims that immigrants make the economy stronger and that America would not have an economy without immigration. Companies also say immigrants help the economy.
But not all immigrants are the same. The current immigration system does not distinguish between good and bad immigrants. It just treats all immigrants the same. This system seems designed to benefit foreigners, not Americans.
A new study found that immigrants living in the U.S. sent at least $120 billion to their home countries last year. This is a lot of money that could benefit Americans instead. Mexico received $33 billion, which is important for Mexico's economy. Remittances are a big part of some countries' economies.
Not all immigrants send money abroad. Many help their families. But the U.S. does not tax most of this money that immigrants send out of the country. This is a good deal for other countries.
Immigration can benefit the economy. But more immigration is not always better for the economy. Claims that it always helps are not supported by facts or evidence. Some people spreading these claims do not understand the topic or are intentionally misleading people.
In summary, while immigration can benefit the economy, the current system does not distinguish between immigrants that help and those that do not. Not all immigrants equally boost the economy as claimed.
Left wing
The U.S. economy is growing faster than most experts predicted. Many more jobs are being created, and inflation is slowly coming down. How is this happening?
There are likely multiple reasons, but one factor is immigration. More than 1 million immigrants entered the U.S. in 2022, the most since 2017. Immigrants help boost the economy and available workers. Some say immigrants are saving the economy.
Even though the Federal Reserve is trying to slow the economy to fight inflation, jobs keep growing quickly. But inflation isn't rising as expected. Many economists study wage and price data for clues about the future but remain uncertain. Overall, it seems inflation may actually be falling even as jobs grow.
That's possible for a few reasons. After the pandemic forced business shutdowns, the government gave out lots of aid. This helped people and businesses but also gave consumers more money when businesses couldn't make as many goods. That led to inflation.
Now supply chains have recovered and government aid is reducing. But until recently, some said the pandemic had reduced how many workers were available. However, retired workers are returning to jobs and immigration is surging again. These immigrants tend to be of working age, so they are adding valuable workers and limiting inflation.
In the long run, immigration helps even more. Immigrants pay taxes for years before collecting many benefits. So more immigration is good for the economy and finances. A rational government that didn't spread misinformation about immigration crime would welcome more immigrants.
Source: Opinion | How Immigrants Are Saving the Economy - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Welfare
Right wing
The welfare system in the U.S. needs reform. Right now, it is made up of many different programs run by different government agencies. This makes the system complicated and inefficient. It does not do a good job of helping people in need or allowing them to improve their lives.
For example, imagine a single mother with two kids who gets welfare benefits like food stamps, health insurance for her kids, and cash assistance. Even though she has a part-time job and wants to work more to support her family, the current system discourages her from doing so. If she gets married or works more hours, she will lose her benefits. She also has to deal with a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork to qualify for the benefits in the first place.
There are two main ways to improve the system. First, get rid of rules that discourage people from earning more money or getting married. Second, combine the many welfare programs into a smaller number of coordinated programs run by a single agency. This will make the system simpler and avoid situations where people lose benefits abruptly. The goal should be to help people who truly need it while also encouraging them to take steps to improve their lives.
Experts say that education, employment, and family stability are keys to success. Reforming welfare to support these goals can help people get their lives on track. While the federal government is looking at welfare reform, states do not have to wait. They can make changes on their own, like creating work requirements for food stamps. In the 1990s, some states reformed their welfare systems, and it led to the successful federal welfare reform law.
Local communities are best suited to help people in need. They can provide job training, apprenticeships, and other support. Although the federal government has a role, local solutions tend to work best.
In summary, we need to reform welfare to focus on helping people improve their lives through work and family stability. The current system is too complicated and discouraging. By streamlining programs, eliminating rules that penalize success, and empowering local communities, we can transform welfare into a system that propels people forward rather than trapping them in poverty.
Source: It's time to overhaul welfare the right way -- here's how | Fox News
Left wing
Britain today faces many of the same economic problems it grappled with over a century ago. Many people struggle with irregular work and low pay, leaving them unable to earn a steady income or save money. However, unemployment rates have not skyrocketed like in the past. This is partly because more people are working in the “gig economy” - doing temporary jobs like driving for Uber or delivering food for Deliveroo. These jobs provide little security or stability.
In the early 1900s, studies found that 30-50% of people in cities like London and York lived in poverty. Reformers realized that most people fell into poverty at some point due to events like illness, injury, or losing a job. They proposed solutions like unemployment insurance and old-age pensions to provide security during these periods. The Liberal government created the first welfare programs before World War 1, including health insurance, unemployment benefits, and pensions.
After World War 2, the welfare state expanded to provide universal healthcare, education, housing, and other benefits. The goal was to give people economic security and enable social mobility. This system supported decades of prosperity and a growing middle class. However, since the 1980s governments have cut back welfare spending. They argue the welfare state is too expensive and makes people dependent on government aid.
Some argue we need a new approach to tackle economic insecurity today. Options include taxing wealth and property more heavily, providing a universal basic income to all citizens, or strengthening the existing welfare system. A basic income could provide security for those in unstable jobs, but it may be difficult to implement. Strengthening the welfare system could also help, as it did in the early 1900s. Overall, providing economic security and opportunity does not have to come at the cost of efficiency or competitiveness. With the right policies, governments can create an environment where both individuals and businesses can thrive.
The key lesson is that we have faced similar issues before, and providing security and opportunity for citizens through government policy can benefit both individuals and society as a whole. With inequality and economic uncertainty on the rise again today, we would do well to remember the lessons of the past.
Source: Why we need the welfare state more than ever | Welfare | The Guardian
Side notes
We hope you enjoyed today’s issue. Please tell us if you want us to deal with any other topic!
Until then, see you next week!