An economist explains what it would cost to give SNAP benefits to all Americans in households earning up to about $100,000 per year – and why it would be worth it.
If the plan is fully phased in as proposed, workers could get up to $4,000 a month for a total of 12 weeks in paid leave to care for a newborn, another loved one or themselves within 10 years.
For middle-class and wealthy families, securing government aid tends to be free of hassles. For low-income families, the process is often stigmatizing and the benefits meager.
The federal government has temporarily widened eligibility for food assistance to more students. Two scholars argue this needs to be made permanent and be accompanied with an awareness campaign.
Few middle-class Americans undergoing Chapter 13 bankruptcy blame the government. They portray themselves as hardworking victims and resent others for taking more than their fair share.
Restricting trade to control the pandemic damages livelihoods, especially those of the urban poor. The control of future pandemics must strike a balance between health and economic activity.
Not all Americans can take paid leave, and some workers can’t take any time off at all if they or their loved ones get sick. Those are big problems during pandemics.
The food aid program helps low-income families put food on the table and injects money straight into struggling local economies. It will be critical throughout the crisis the coronavirus is stoking.
A scholar of the American safety net explains how, through her own brother, she’s getting a personal window into what it means to face COVID-19 as a worker in the gig economy.
Associate Dean of the College of Community and Public Affairs, and Professor of Public Administration, Binghamton University, State University of New York