Watch and learn! Carefully selected videos will help bring key concepts and theories to life, preparing you for your studies and exams.

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1. Debates about Welfare and Public Policy

Investigate the public debate on social welfare programs. Using a search engine that looks at U.S. Media (e.g. LexisNexis, major US newspapers or independent news media), search for terms like “welfare state,” “social welfare spending,” etc. What are the competing perspectives regarding public spending on social welfare programs? What are the arguments for and against programs designed to minimize poverty? Who tends to support and who tends to oppose anti-poverty programs? How do you feel about spending on anti-poverty programs?

2. Poverty Rates in Your State

What does poverty look like in your state? Google “state data center” with the name of your state and visit their website for the most recent data on poverty for your state. These state data centers are excellent locations for a wide variety of statistical information about your state. You may also learn about child poverty in your state by visiting this site: http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/us-state-child-data.html. What has been the trend in poverty and child poverty in your state? How does this compare to the national average?

3. Homelessness in America

Homelessness is a social problem borne disproportionately by the poor and the underclass. The Housing and Urban Development website provides a great deal of information on this, both information for you to learn as well as information for those individuals that are homeless. This is a bit ironic because individuals who are homeless would probably have a more difficult time accessing computers to find this information. Can you think of better ways the federal government might reach out to the homeless?

4. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a policy organization working at both “federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals. The Center conducts research and analysis to help shape public debates over proposed budget and tax policies and to help ensure that policymakers consider the needs of low-income families and individuals in these debates. [They] also develop policy options to alleviate poverty. In addition, the Center examines the short- and long-term impacts of proposed policies on the health of the economy and the soundness of federal and state budgets. Among the issues [they] explore are whether federal and state governments are fiscally sound and have sufficient revenue to address critical priorities, both for low-income populations and for the nation as a whole” (CBPP website).