Policy

Relevance to Social Work profession: Code of Ethics

“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.” 

Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.

Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

What are your assumptions about your role as a Social Worker

impacting policy for those who are poor?

How do you define policy?

Why do you think we have or even need policy?

Policy Process

Understanding the US policy process

The policy process is not as neat, orderly, or tidy as textbooks or civics classes would have you believeNor is it completely irrational and illogicalYou can (and maybe should!) participate in the policy process—there’s no secret handshakeBut, basic knowledge of how the process really works is essential to successfully navigating through the policy process

The development of public policy definitions

In any society, gov’ts enact laws, make policies, and allocate resources. Public policy can be generally defined as a system of laws regulatory measures, courses of action and funding priorities concerning a given topic promulgated by the government or its representatives.

Nature of Public policy

The authoritative allocation of values for a society.

The process of deciding who gets what, when, where and how.

What the government chooses to do or not to do about a specific problem.

Basic Concepts

• Politics: “Who gets what”• Public Policy: “What government chooses

to do or not to do”

**If the government had chosen to do nothing, this is still a policy choice

• The Policy Process: The process by which “politics” is translated to “policy”

Quick review: Policy process model

Market corrections are necessary….

People are looking to maximize utility (happiness) People seek to make themselves better off,

regardless of how they define it.Preferences are different (poverty/survival

impacts preferences)Supply and demand.Incentives matter. Market firms and

consumers seek to maximize utility (profit and happiness)

Black Rhino

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/us/black-rhino-hunting-permit/

Market economy

Market economy derives strength from the swift, the strong and the smart.

Most markets are self-correcting.Gas prices go up – smaller cars used, public

transportBounded rationality – make decisions

somewhat rationally – intuition, general rule of thumb guidelines, decisions based on what you know, have time..

Analyze this…

Human beings are complex creatures who are looking to do whatever it takes to make

themselves as well- off as possible.

May lead to unintended consequences AKA The Law of Unintended Consequences

Infants in car seats in airplanes Mexico city pollution problem

Analyze this.

Good policy uses incentives to channel behavior toward a desired outcome. Bad policy either ignores incentives or fails to anticipate

how rational people would change their behavior to avoid being penalized.

Taxes as incentives

Taxes are powerful incentives to avoid or reduce the activity that is taxed.

In US – income is that primary tax bases. So do individuals avoid income to avoid taxes?? Generous unemployment benefits may discourage

work Gas tax discourages driving Welfare policy prior to 1996, gave cash to single

women and children -- discouraging those employed or married and still poor.

Taxes as incentives

Largest entitlement program and funds -- Social Security and Medicare

OR…

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – subsidy for working individuals so income is raised above poverty level.

While I maximize my utility….

You suffer from my decisions.Honda civic vs. SUV Consider the externalities – the gap between

private cost and social cost of some behavior. (may need to raise private cost to address social cost)

This is where the market fails.. And the courts may step in to correct (eg Erin Brockovich, smoking or dog waste)

Positive externalities – neighbors improving home

Poverty

We all have ‘em…. What are your assumptions about poverty?

Poverty threshold

The official threshold is adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index. The government's definition of poverty is based on total income received. For example, the poverty level for 2012 was set at $23,050 (total yearly income) for a family of four. 

Most Americans (58.5%) will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75. Poverty rates are persistently higher in rural and inner city parts of the country as compared to suburban areas

Make it real

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/wealth-poverty/could-you-live-438-week

What’s the implication of the fact below?

People living in poverty tend to be clustered in certain neighborhoods

rather than being evenly distributed across geographic areas.

Poverty in America: What would you do?

What do you think are the major reasons families are poor in America?  

What is the single most effective way for individuals in America to move out of poverty?

If you found yourself as a head of family living below the poverty line, what are the major policy issues that you think would be the most impactful to you and your family? 

If you found yourself as a head of family living below the poverty line, what intervention or program do you think would be most critical to support your family?

Further illustrations about poverty policy in development and action

Putting a face on poverty in America… a story about “preferences” and choices. http://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-money/marketplace-money-friday-october-5-2012

Questions

What are your assumptions about poverty?

How does this impact the way you would frame policy around poverty issues?

How does the idea of “preferences” impact the way in which those you define as poor?

How you would guide poor clients in daily decision making as it relates to their preferences?