Policy and Complex Systems
dropped modestly from 19 percent in 1964 to 15 percent in 2012 ( Lozano , 2015 ) ( see Figure 2 ). These statistics indicate that anti-poverty policies have not significantly reduced poverty in the U . S . However , researchers from Columbia University , using the Supplemental Poverty Measure ( SPM ), calculated a supplemental measure back through time and adjusted for inflation ( Jacob , 2012 ). These researchers calculated the poverty level as falling from 26 to 16 percent from 1967 to 2012 ( Jacob , 2012 ). This presented a more significant drop in the poverty level . The SPM is cited to account for more success in the reduction of poverty . Conversely , some critics claim citing SPM does not meet the original objective of the war on poverty : reducing tax consumers and creating taxpayers because it includes aid as part of a person ’ s income ( Worstall , 2015 ).
Critics cite that means-tested welfare programs skew poverty level data , and they ( means- tested welfare programs ) remove incentives for recipients to get off welfare ( Roy , 2013 ). The Cato Institute cited in some states , means-tested welfare income exceeds that of working wages ( Tanner , 2013 ). In 39 U . S . States , welfare pays more than an $ 8 per hour job ( Roy , 2013 ). In six U . S . States , welfare pays more than a $ 12 per hour job ( Roy , 2013 ). In eight U . S . States , welfare pays more than the average salary of a U . S . teacher ( Roy , 2013 ). 2
In this section , I narrow the focus by framing the poverty problem of a sample group of the general U . S . population . The sample for this study is 776 people in the small north Florida town of White Springs . In 2014 , the town of White Springs , through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity ( DEO ) Competitive Florida Partnership program , decided to embark on long-term strategic planning using the framing approach . White Springs currently has 36 percent of households living below the poverty level compared to just 16 percent of the U . S . population living under the poverty level in 2012 . The town meets the state of Florida ’ s statutory definition of a rural area of critical economic concern . Further , White Springs has a low per capita income , low per capita taxable values , high unemployment , and low weekly-earned wages . A high percentage of the population receives public assistance through meanstested welfare . The town suffers from a lack of year-round stable employment opportunities ( see Table 2 ) ( Miller , 2014 ).
In March 2014 , a group of scholars , planners , and policymakers began a framing exercise to create anti-poverty policy for the town of White Springs . This group used framing to identify key artifacts and issues in the systems that required resolution . It ( the group ) created the strategy for the White Springs case study during eight sessions . Two of the sessions in particular were with diverse community stakeholders : one session convened business owners and the other session a group of citizens . Diverse perspectives are critical in the process of framing not merely for the appearance of fairness , although the appearance of fairness is an important aesthetic , but to gain an
2
The state of Hawaii offers $ 60,590 in annual welfare benefits , and welfare benefits are tax-free to the recipient as compared to work-related wages . This equates to $ 29.13 per hour , based on a 40-hour work week . The five states with the highest welfare benefits are : Washington , DC ($ 50,820 per year at $ 24.43 per hour ), Massachusetts ($ 50,540 per year at $ 24.30 per hour ), Connecticut ($ 44,370 per year at $ 21.33 per hour ), and New York ($ 43,700 per year at $ 21.01 per hour ). The five states with the lowest welfare benefits are Idaho ($ 11,150 per year at $ 5.36 per hour ), Mississippi ($ 11,830 per year at $ 5.69 per hour ), Tennessee ($ 12.120 per year at $ 5.83 per hour ), Arkansas ($ 12,230 per year at $ 5.88 per hour ), and Texas ($ 12,550 per year at $ 6.03 per hour ) ( Roy , 2013 ).
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