Solutions to Social Problems Lessons from State and Local Government

by Eitzen, D. Stanley; Sage, George H.

• ISBN13: 9780205578733
• ISBN10: 020557873X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-07-10
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

This text examines specific cases where states and cities are ahead of the federal government in providing solutions to social problems. States and cities are sometimes ahead of the federal government in providing solutions to social problems. The federal bureaucracy often prefers no change to change. Congress is sometimes paralyzed by party and ideological differences resulting in stagnation. In this vacuum, some states provide innovative programs to solve social problems that may be applicable at the federal level. This book examines specific examples of state and local initiatives to solve these representative social problems: undemocratic practices, poverty, inadequate wages for the working poor, unequal educational opportunity by class and race, the inadequate and inefficient health care system, the environmental crisis, and the decaying or inadequate infrastructure.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Introduction: States and Cities Solving Social Problems	p. 1
Some Words of Caution	p. 4
References	p. 8
Democracy and Campaign Reform	p. 9
Democracy and American Elections	p. 11
Financing Political Campaigns	p. 11
Campaign Finance Reform	p. 17
State Governments and Campaign Finance Reform	p. 22
Maine Clean Elections	p. 23
Vermont Clean Elections	p. 25
Arizona Clean Elections	p. 25
Massachusetts Clean Elections	p. 26
Connecticut Clean Elections	p. 26
North Carolina, New Mexico, and New Jersey Public Financing	p. 27
Other States and Public Financing	p. 27
Municipal Governments and Campaign Finance Reform	p. 27
New York City and Campaign Finance	p. 28
Los Angeles and Campaign Finance	p. 28
Portland, Oregon, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, Campaign Finance	p. 28
States and Municipalities Move toward Political Equality with Campaign Finance Reform	p. 29
Summary	p. 31
References	p. 32
The Environment: Initiatives to Reduce Global Warming	p. 35
The Problem	p. 35
The U.S. Response to Global Warming	p. 37
International Treaties	p. 39
Rescinding Existing Environmental Statutes	p. 39
Lax Enforcement	p. 40
Minimizing the Threat of Global Warming	p. 41
State and Local Initiatives to Lessen Global Warming	p. 42
California Leading the Way	p. 42
Progressive State and Local Initiatives to Halt Global Warming	p. 44
Postscript: The Federal Government Blocks the States' Efforts to Mandate Emissions	p. 48
Summary	p. 49
References	p. 49
Building U.S. Infrastructure	p. 53
Infrastructure: The Foundation on Which Modern Societies Are Built	p. 54
Federal Government and Infrastructure	p. 55
American Society of Civil Engineers and Infrastructure	p. 55
The Status of Current U.S. Infrastructure	p. 59
Reasons for the Infrastructure Crisis	p. 61
Solutions to Infrastructure Problems through State and Local Governments	p. 63
States and Infrastructure	p. 63
Cities and Infrastructure	p. 67
Summary	p. 69
Notes	p. 70
References	p. 70
Improving Education	p. 72
The American Public Education System: Beloved but Plagued by Controversy	p. 73
The Changing Role of the Federal Government in Education	p. 74
Post-World War II: Growing Federalization of Education	p. 74
Federal Intervention in Education in the Twenty-First Century	p. 76
States and Local Communities Lead Education Reform from Prekindergarten through Secondary School	p. 77
Prekindergarten Education Initiatives	p. 77
Elementary and Secondary School Educational Initiatives	p. 80
Charter Schools	p. 82
School Vouchers	p. 85
Magnet Schools	p. 88
Homeschooling	p. 89
Higher Education and Government Initiatives	p. 91
Federal Involvement in Higher Education	p. 91
State Governments and College and University Initiatives	p. 93
Summary	p. 96
References	p. 97
Poverty, Homelessness, and Affordable Housing	p. 101
Poverty, Homelessness, and Affordable Housing: Meaning and Consequences	p. 101
Federal Poverty Threshold and Guidelines	p. 101
Living in Poverty	p. 102
Rate of Poverty	p. 103
Consequences of Living in Poverty	p. 104
Homelessness: Its Meaning and Consequences	p. 104
Causes of Homelessness	p. 105
Affordable Housing: Its Meaning and Consequences	p. 105
Federal Antipoverty Programs	p. 106
Beginnings of Federal Antipoverty Efforts	p. 106
Social Security-A Retirement and Antipoverty Program	p. 107
Food Stamp Program	p. 108
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)	p. 108
Effectiveness of Federal Antipoverty Programs	p. 109
Minimum Wage as an Antipoverty Program	p. 109
Role of the Federal Government in Alleviating Homelessness	p. 109
Federal Government and Affordable Housing	p. 110
State and Local Governments: Beyond Federal Government Assistance to the Poor	p. 112
State and Local Government Antipoverty Initiatives	p. 114
Examples of DHS Programs	p. 115
Department of Housing and Community Services	p. 115
The Oregon Commission on Children and Families	p. 116
State Earned Income Tax Credits (EITCs) Programs	p. 116
State and Local Government: Homelessness and Affordable Housing Initiatives	p. 116
City Programs for the Homeless and Affordable Housing Initiatives	p. 118
Summary	p. 122
Notes	p. 122
References	p. 123
Improving Wages for the Working Poor and the Near Poor	p. 126
The Working Poor and the Near Poor	p. 127
The Working Poor	p. 127
The Near Poor	p. 128
Government Programs to Ease the Burden on the Working Poor and the Near Poor	p. 129
Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)	p. 129
State and Municipal Earned Income Tax Credit Programs	p. 130
Federal Minimum Wage	p. 131
Minimum Wages Set by the States	p. 133
More Than the Minimum-A Living Wage	p. 134
Summary	p. 136
References	p. 136
Health Care for All	p. 139
The Crisis in Health Care	p. 140
Rising Health Care Costs	p. 140
The Uninsured	p. 140
Unequal Access to Health Care	p. 141
A Health Care System That Relies on Profit	p. 143
State and Local Health Care Initiatives	p. 145
Statewide Universal Health Care Coverage	p. 146
Massachusetts	p. 146
Vermont	p. 147
Maine	p. 147
California	p. 148
Other State Initiatives for Expanded Coverage	p. 149
Summary	p. 149
References	p. 150
Index	p. 152
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