Persuasive Essay On Government Welfare Programs

The United States offers citizens benefit programs at every level of government to help with life’s hardships, and a considerable number of people participate. A variety of benefits are available for all Americans and some non-citizens who are in need of aid. Many Americans are aware that these programs exist, but may not be informed about how many people receive assistance, what kind of benefits are available, or who garners government relief (Welfare Info.). According to the United States Census Bureau, 35.4% of Americans had received some form of welfare in 2012. By the end of the same year 153,323,000 people collected assistance from the government. The Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook calculated that the number of people getting

“Participation in government programs is dynamic,” said Shelly Irving from the United States Census Bureau. The biggest participant categories are children under the age of eighteen, different ethnicities and genders, non-high school graduates, and the unemployed. Children under the age of eighteen are more likely to participate in means tested programs than any other age group, and 39.2% of children receive some type of government benefit. At 41.6%, the black population in America is the most likely to partake in programs in any average month. The black population is followed by Hispanics, Asians, and non-Hispanic whites. Families with a female householder have the highest rate of participation in any given month, 50%, compared to married couple and male householder families. Those who graduate high school are less likely to need government benefits. Out of all non-high school graduates, 37.3% rely on at least one form of assistance. Financial aid is also given to 33.5% of the unemployed, 17.6% of half time workers, and 6.7% of full time workers (United States Census