Assignment 1: Discussion—Philosophical Viewpoints on Social Welfare Policies
In this assignment, you will examine the ideological struggles that underlie policymaking in the United States. This includes the following:
•The historical legacy of fear of a strong central government and how this fear has influenced the development of the US Constitution.
•The ideological divisions in the United States’ politics which fall primarily along a Conservative–Liberal continuum.
Research areas of social welfare policy using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet.
Select an area of social welfare policy in which you are interested. Respond to the following:
•Identify the aspects of the policy that reflect a conservative perspective and the aspects that reflect a liberal perspective.
•Explain the impact of the mixed ideological foundation on the focus and structure of the policy.
The political ideologies of a country are very specific to its cultural history. Keeping this in mind, respond to the following:
•Discuss how the policymaking of one other country aligns with or differs from the United States due to its cultural history.
•Provide examples to explain why the policymaking is similar or different.
Write your initial response in 300–400 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.
By Saturday, July 26, 2014, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, July 30, 2014, review and comment on at least two peers’ responses. Cover the following items in your posts:
•Provide a statement of clarification.
•Provide a point of view with rationale.
•Challenge a point of discussion, or draw a relationship between one or more points of the discussion.
Assignment 2: Income Support Policies
In this assignment, you must examine the philosophical underpinnings of the economic system and its relationship to ethics and social justice by examining income support policies. You will also view the socially constructed ways of developing and distributing resources and implementing societal values. You will examine the “problem of justice” by considering the following:
•The distribution of goods and services
•An individual’s share in goods and services
•The allocation of rights and duties
Research income support policies using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet.
Select two policies for examination from the list that follows. You can select from other types of income support policies; however, be sure to submit your choices to the facilitator for validation before continuing with this assignment.
•Social Security
•Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
•Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Then, compare and contrast the selected income support policies. Address the following:
•List and describe each income support policy’s target population, means of funding, and intended outcomes.
•Explain the positions a conservative politician or commentator, and a liberal politician would take on the policy. Address anything they might have in common ideologically and also describe their differences.
•Give reasons and examples in support of your analysis.
Write a 2–3-page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M2_A2.doc.
