The duty of government has been a controversial topic in America since its inception. Programs like welfare are constantly scrutinized for their purpose and efficiency. The real numbers associated with welfare programs are unknown to many on both sides of the issue. Emotional responses often get in the way of an analysis of true welfare statistics.

Identification

• Welfare is the name given to a set of interconnected programs aimed at low income families. Programs include job training and family planning. It also includes cash assistance. In 1994, whites made up 38 percent of all welfare recipients, blacks 37 percent, and Hispanics 17 percent.
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Effects

• For the most part, welfare is a transient program. Recipients don't remain on the program forever. Fewer than 20 percent of all people on welfare remain on the program for more than seven months. Another 20 percent are on welfare for one to two years. Still, 27 percent remain on welfare for two to five years. Of all welfare recipients, 20 percent remain on welfare more than five years.
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History

• Welfare programs were first introduced to America in the 1930s under the name Aide to Dependent Children. Many felt that this did not encourage the union of family, and in the 1960s the name was changed to Aide to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). In 1996, welfare was revamped by President Clinton and subsequently called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Among the features of the new plan was a limit to the benefit of five years.
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Theories/Speculation

• Business closures related to the economic crisis of 2008 will significantly increase the number of Americans seeking welfare. This is the primary argument of legislators who want to bail out large companies before they fail. They want to keep Americans working to avoid paying them on the other end via welfare programs and other forms of government assistance. Blue collar workers argue that it is a case of concerns for Wall Street versus the concerns for Main Street. The workers, represented by Main Street, want to avoid the prospect of welfare.