What are social safety net programs? Describe how the U.S. safety net differs from that found in other rich democracies in terms of cost, reach, generosity of programs across age groups, the role played by private employers, and the extent to which

the programs reduce economic inequality.

What will be an ideal response?

An ideal response will:
1, Define safety net programs as those that protect the minimum standards of living against some of life's unavoidable circumstances, such as unemployment, income loss, poverty, physical and mental illness, disability, family disintegration, and old age.
2, Note that U.S. safety net programs cost less than in other democracies.
3, Note that U.S. safety net programs reach fewer citizens. For example, many citizens in other democracies receive family and other benefits that Americans do not receive.
4, Explain how the U.S. emphasis on Social Security and Medicare concentrates benefits to the elderly, while benefits in other democracies are spread more evenly across age groups.
5, Describe the emphasis in other countries that is placed on requiring employers to provide safety net benefits such as paid maternity and paternity leave. In contrast, U.S. employers are not required to pay employees while they are on family leave.
6, Explain that safety net programs do considerably less to reduce economic inequality in the United States than they do in other democracies, in part because the largest U.S. safety net programs are Social Security and Medicare, which are not means-tested.