Government Assistance and Welfare Policy Recommendations Having grown up in a lower-class, single-parent home, I see firsthand the need for government welfare and assistance programs. I also realize that the system is very complex and can become a crutch for people who become dependent and complacent. As a liberal American, I firmly believe that the government should provide services to the less fortunate and resources to find jobs. However, as able-bodied citizens we should not be content with collecting benefits and it is the government's job to identify people who take advantage of the system and deprive benefits from those who make no effort to support themselves independently. I will identify errors that exist within the welfare system and several policy recommendations to implement change that will counteract the negative conditions that currently exist. I have concluded that there are five major problems within our American government welfare system. First, the welfare system is too generous. The article is proof of this because it states that spending on public assistance has more than doubled since 2008. It also states that in poor countries people can only choose whether to work or starve. They choose to work long hours and we choose not to work and receive benefits. Surely there is a problem with our welfare system if a single mother could receive more money in benefits than a working secretary. Second, the welfare system becomes a crutch and serves as a safety net for the government. It creates idleness and comfort among people who prefer to receive a generous amount of benefits rather than work. Three to a third of people declare they are disabled and are actually able to work. Fourth, the states are significantly different… half of the paper… the American welfare system has many flaws and I have identified the major problems and possible solutions/policy recommendations. We cannot completely eliminate government assistance because we are a land of equality for all and we should be proud to have services that help the less fortunate. However, we need to identify the people who abuse it and those who get too comfortable with it. We cannot continue to go deeper and deeper into debt by supporting people who make no effort to support themselves. However, we should help and assist those who are constantly trying to become educated, skilled and experienced enough to become self-sufficient. I close with a quote from the article on welfare that helps a lady survive while studying. He currently has a degree and a job as a manager. “I had clear goals,” “I wasn't raised to sit at home waiting for a check to arrive in the mail.”