 | Term | Definition |
| |
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) |
federal funds, administered by the states, for children living with parents or relatives who fall below state standards of need. Replaced in 1996 by TANF |
| |
contributory programs |
social programs financed in whole or in part by taxation or other mandatory contributions by their present or future recipients. The most important example is Social Security, which is financed by a payroll tax |
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cost of living adjustments (COLAs) |
changes made to the level of benefits of a government program based on the rate of inflation |
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entitlement |
eligibility for benefits by virtue of a category of benefits defined by legislation |
| |
equality of opportunity |
a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential |
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food stamps |
coupons that can be exchanged for food at most grocery stores; the largest in-kind benefits program |
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indexing |
periodic process of adjusting social benefits or wages to account for increases in the cost of living |
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in-kind benefits |
goods and services provided to needy individuals and families by the federal government |
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libertarian |
the political philosophy that is skeptical of any government intervention as a potential threat against individual liberty; libertarians believe that government has caused more problems than it has solved |
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means testing |
a procedure by which potential beneficiaries of a public assistance program establish their eligibility by demonstrating a genuine need for the assistance |
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Medicaid |
a federally financed, state-operated program providing medical services to low-income people |
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Medicare |
a form of national health insurance for the elderly and the disabled |
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noncontributory programs |
social programs that provide assistance to people based on demonstrated need rather than any contribution they have made |
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shadow welfare state |
social benefits that private employers offer to their workers, such as medical insurance and pensions |
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Social Security |
a contributory welfare program into which working Americans contribute a percentage of their wages, and from which they receive cash benefits after retirement |
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Supplemental Security Income (SSI) |
a program providing a minimum monthly income to people who pass a "means test" and who are sixty-five or older, blind, or disabled. Financed from general revenues rather than from Social Security contributions |
| |
tax expenditures |
government subsidies provided to employers and employees through tax deductions for amounts spent on health insurance and other benefits; these represent one way the government helps to ensure the social welfare of the middle class |
| Add or remove terms from this set |
