We are all aware of the disadvantages of being born into a poor, uneducated single parent family, but what is the prescription for addressing this widespread problem? One view is to provide educational and other opportunities to escape this environment and, hopefully, end this repetitive cycle. Unfortunately, this approach seems to have had limited success.
Another view, seemingly espoused in the President's Social Justice agenda, is to remove the trappings of poverty by subsidizing these families into a middle class standard of living. The obvious risk to this approach is that it removes incentives for self-improvement, both for the individuals directly involved and for other individuals who then see the relative value of their own efforts diminished.
Which is the better approach? At an individual and even societal level, it probably depends on one's personal philosophical beliefs. However, these approaches also involve divergent economic premises: The Individual Opportunity approach depends on an ever-expanding private sector job market, while the Social Justice approach depends on ever-increasing government revenues.
At this point, neither approach looks very promising. What is your prescription?
Another view, seemingly espoused in the President's Social Justice agenda, is to remove the trappings of poverty by subsidizing these families into a middle class standard of living. The obvious risk to this approach is that it removes incentives for self-improvement, both for the individuals directly involved and for other individuals who then see the relative value of their own efforts diminished.
Which is the better approach? At an individual and even societal level, it probably depends on one's personal philosophical beliefs. However, these approaches also involve divergent economic premises: The Individual Opportunity approach depends on an ever-expanding private sector job market, while the Social Justice approach depends on ever-increasing government revenues.
At this point, neither approach looks very promising. What is your prescription?