Discussion

Public surveys, such as this Gallup Poll, indicate that the majority of younger Americans think that Social Security is a "dead program." Please review the required resources for this week and address the following:

Website included
http://www.gallup.com/poll/184580/americans-doubt-social-security-benefits.aspx

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/04/social-security/476331/

In your informed opinion, why do so many young people have such a dim view?
What are at least two ways that the existing Social Security program could be altered to make it sustainable long in to the future?

What are some alternatives to the program as it is now? Should alternatives be considered? Why or why not?

Your initial post should be at least 300 words in length. Support your points with scholarly references, appropriate citations, and full references at the conclusion of your post. Cite your sources in APA format. Review several of your classmates' posts, and then, provide a substantive response to at least two of your classmates by Day 7. What, if any, additional information would you like to share with them about Social Security policy and reform?

Journal

For your journal entry, you will explore aspects of your personal experience and/or beliefs regarding significant public policies and what you have learned in your readings. As you reflect, please address the following questions:

There are several federal welfare programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI),

Section 8 Housing Assistance, Food Stamps, Medicaid, among others. Pick two of these policies and describe:

What social problem they are intended to address

What population they serve

Assess the strengths and any issues of each program.

For each program, do you think it is working well? If so, why? If not, what alternative program would you recommend to address the same social issue?

What were your thoughts about federal welcome programs prior to reading this week's reading assignment?

How has your perspective been either reinforced or changed now that you are more informed?

The purpose of the journal activity is to allow you to thoroughly reflect upon what you have learned during this course, particularly this week, and to provide you with an opportunity to relate this what you have learned this week to your own experiences. The reflective journal is not a formal written assignment. However, you are expected to adhere to conventional rules of grammar, sentence structure, spelling, and punctuation while focusing on clearly conveying your thoughts.

Assignment

This assignment is to be a thorough outline, including components as detailed below, of your Final Paper.

Your Final Paper is to be a comprehensive research study on one of the following public policy topics:

Environmental Concerns
Immigration
Health Care
Primary and Secondary Public Education
Social Security
Welfare
Your outline of the topic will include:

The scope and nature of the public policy problem.
How the problem came to public and political awareness.
The evolution of related public policy.
Level of government and the actors involved.
The intergovernmental structure and political concerns.
Conflicting public opinion and impact on policy solutions.

The approaches to policy formulation, adoption, and evaluation.

The suggested policy direction (continuation, change or termination) and future impact.

This assignment is to include a title page, introductory paragraph with thesis statement, outline of your major points, summarizing or concluding paragraph, and reference page. It must be at least four pages in length and include a minimum of five scholarly sources, including a minimum of four from the Ashford University Library. Your paper must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. All sources must be properly cited in text, and your paper must include a separate title page and reference page. The Ashford Writing Center is located within the Learning Resources tab, on the left navigation toolbar.

Your outline should be organized as follows:

Title page (one page)
Introduction with thesis statement
Outline of topic
Concluding paragraph
Reference page (one page)

Final Paper will be between eight to ten pages (including title and reference pages) in length, with at least six to ten scholarly sources, including a minimum of four from the Ashford University Library. The sources should be from a variety of resources including literature databases, academic journals, books, and other scientific sources.