Identify the changes made in social policy during the New Deal and the Great Society. In what ways do the programs enacted during those periods meet the goals of social policy? Why are these programs often controversial?

Answer:

An ideal response will:
1. Describe changes during the New Deal: establishment of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the first 100 days; creation of jobs through the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps; adoption of Social Security, disability insurance, and unemployment insurance; and the Children's Bureau, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and the Federal Surplus Relief Corporation's school lunch programs.
2. Describe changes during the Great Society: expansion of food stamp program; creation of Head Start and of Medicare and Medicaid; implementation of SSI; and creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
3. Identify the goals of social policy as creating a social safety net and raising the quality of life for all citizens, and discuss how the New Deal and Great Society programs meet these goals.
4. Note that social policy programs are often political battlegrounds between the parties and between contending interest groups; the question is not whether a safety net should be provided, but rather how strong the net should be and whether it should be provided by the states or by the federal government.