assignments for sochien
3 pages due 3/4/2021
this assignment, each student in the class has been assigned to a working group and a policy issue (My issue is Immigration: Advocating for Policy that Expands Immigration in the U.S.)
You should develop a legislative history review for the assigned policy. Students should be familiar with the information provided in Chapter 5 of Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process by Catherine F. Smith as it addresses the process for preparing and writing a public policy legislative history document. This assignment should be written as a report (see examples on page 102 -107) regarding your group policy issue. The goal of providing a public policy legislative review is to provide knowledge of U.S. proposed or enacted law regarding a defined problem based on consulting legislative records. The product should be a written document tracing either history of a single law or history of laws on an issue. For this assignment consider addressing the guidelines presented on pages 95 –96 that include 1) knowing why the research is needed, 2) knowing the user and the user’s purpose for the information, 3) setting the scope, 4) taking the necessary time and managing your time, and 5) using existing skills and adding needed ones. Following these guidelines, as well as completing the three tasks listed below will aid you in writing an effective legislative history review report.
https://www.vitalsource.com/textbooks?sort=&term=writing+public+policy
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Task 1: Review the legislative process (page 96 -97)
Task 2: Conduct research (page 97 -100)
Task 3: Write legislative history document using standard reporting format(page 100 -101)
•Provide an overview that summarizes the message and key information
•Divide the report into subsections that provide summaries of important information
•Utilize subheadings that label each subsection
•Include full citations that in addition to the required APA format include issuing agency, title, edition, publisher information, series, and notes as needed.
The textbook provides several examples of effective policy evaluation documents in Chapter 5, on pages 102–118. I recommend utilizing the style of writing presented in example 1 on page 102 as a legislative report when preparing your assignment.
While there is no firm page limit, I expect most memos will be approximately 3 but not more than four(4) pages long, DoubleSpace not including your citations/sources page(s). Margins should not exceed one inch and the font must be 11 or 12-pointTimes New Roman.
Please include the header or cover page for the paper as described in the syllabus, which should include the title of the assignment and submission date. Cover pages do not count against your page limits. Students are encouraged to review Viewpoint 4: General Method of Communicating in a Policy Process (Chapter 2, p. 29 -31) and review your writing utilizing the Features of Effectiveness and Measures of Excellence checklists provided in the text (Chapter 3, p. 32 –33).
The guidelines for this assignment are based upon information from Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process, Third Edition, Chapter 5by Catherine F. Smith.
Legislative History Review
By:
Steven Song, Sam Oates, Claire Squire, Sabrina Chagan, and Victoria Nash
SPEA-V181
Overview
Over 25 million elderly Americans live in poverty, according to the National Council on Aging
(2018). While this startling number requires remediation, it is estimated that half of all elderly
Americans would live in poverty without Social Security. This legislation was designed to
provide relief for those suffering unemployment and poverty because of the Great Depression:
dependent widows, children without parents, unemployed workers, and retirees. Social Security
is a pay-as-you-go system in which 6.2% of each worker’s income is taxed, up to a cap, to pay
for current recipients’ benefits. Today, the program still provides crucial benefits, but is in
danger of running out of funding due to increased recipients and decreased workers. To ensure
that future generations receive benefits, funding must be increased or spending cut. Previous
pieces of legislation in the United States and abroad attempted address this issue: a 1983
Amendment to Social Security requires that government employees pay into the system, and in
France, a 2012 bill allows citizens to opt out of receiving benefits (French-Property, p.1, 2018).
The following review of current legislation reveals the importance of preserving Social Security
for future generations. Unfortunately, the high voter turnout and consequent influence of
America’s elderly has resulted in legislative inaction. However, there is still time to save Social
Security, and the most effective strategy to achieve that goal is the demolition of the income tax
cap.
Social Security Legislation
1939 Amendment- The 1939 Amendment to Social Security added two new categories of
recipients to the program: spouses and minor children of retirees, and family of covered workers
that died prematurely. This adjustment shifted Social Security from a worker-based program to a
family-based socioeconomic security program. Additionally, the Amendment extended benefits
to workers in the government, law, and agriculture sectors, as the original legislation limited
receival of benefits to workers in industry and commerce. The Amendment also standardized the
method of determining if a worker had worked long enough to be eligible for benefits.
1983 Amendment- Through bipartisan cooperation, the 1983 Amendment reconfigured the
coverage, financing, and benefits of Social Security in response to concerns of insufficient
funding. This Amendment required that government employees pay into Social Security and
imposed a six-month delay in calculating the Cost of Living Adjustment, allowing for more
accurate inflation adjustments, reducing extraneous increases in benefits (Blahous, 2007).
Legislation in Other Jurisdictions
Social Security is not limited to the United States; over 170 other countries have assistance
programs (p.1). Countries fund their assistance programs in a variety of manners, including:
France- Following enactment of the 2012 Social Security Financing Bill, France’s Social
Security deficit was nearly halved (Gouvernement.fr, p.1, 2015). In contrast to many countries,
the majority of the funding for Social Security in France comes from contributions rather than
taxation; the people of France may opt out of Social Security if they do not want to pay their
employee wage contributions (French-Property, p.1, 2018).
Egypt- Social and Insurance Law No. 79 of 1975 was enacted to reframe Egypt’s system and set
new parameters for Social Security (Trading Economics, p.2, 2018). As a result, receival of old
age pensions and disability settlements requires that citizens contribute to the Social Security tax,
and typically 10 to 120 contributions are required (Social Security Administration, p.1, 2017).
By observing the successes and failures of other countries’ assistance systems, the United States
may discover legislative strategies that have the potential to reform Social Security for the better.
Federal Response
1970s- Social Security has continuously expanded to include more citizens, but the federal
government has not likewise expanded its means of paying for the program. In the first three
years of the 1970s, Social Security benefits were increased by 15, 10, and 20% respectively, and
expanded to include a minimum benefit, given to retirees who had not paid into the system.
Post 1970s- Since the 1970s, minimal legislation has been passed, except for the Bush
Administration tax cuts of the 2000s that solidified the income tax cap, decreasing the amount
that high-earning Americans contribute to Social Security. In 2017, for example, due to the
income tax cap, all Americans earning income of $128,400 or higher, including the extremely
wealthy, were taxed the same amount for Social Security: $15,772.80.
Modern Issues- Currently, Baby Boomers are retiring at a higher rate than the rate at which
young people are entering the workforce. Legislative action by the federal government is
necessary, but is lacking, as ensuring future generations receive Social Security will require
either that benefits be cut, or taxes raised, both of which are politically unpopular decisions that
negatively impact the elderly, a powerful voting group.
Improvements to Legislation
Social Security faces an unknown future due to insufficient funds and a growing population
dependent upon the program. Additional legislation pertaining to Social Security may help
sustain the program amid great expansion of beneficiaries. To ensure younger generations
receive Social Security, it is recommended that the income tax cap be lifted, requiring that all
citizens be taxed 6.2% of their income. This recommendation increases Social Security funds by
eliminating the tax cap for wealthier citizens, increasing policy equity and enabling Social
Security to be a fiscally viable program for years to come.
Works Cited
Blahous, Charles P. “The 1983 Social Security Reforms: Real and Misremembered Lessons for
Today’s Leaders.” Hudson Institute, Hudson Institute, 27 Feb. 2009,
www.hudson.org/content/researchattachments/attachment/705/1983_social_security_refo
rms
Elderly Poverty Statistics – Economic Security. (2017, August 10). Retrieved from
https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/economic-security-facts/
French-Property. (2018). Tax France: Social Security Contributions in France. Retrieved from
https://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/taxation/social-security
Gouvernement.fr. (2015). The Social Security Financing Bill For 2016. Retrieved from
https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/the-social-security-financing-bill-for-2016
History.com Editors. “Social Security Act.” HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 26 Jan. 2018,
www.history.com/topics/great-depression/social-security-act.
“A Hope of Many Years.” Social Security, SSA’s Office of Legislation & Congressional Affairs,
24 Apr. 2015, www.ssa.gov/history/video/.
Social Security Administration. (2017). Africa, 2017 (Egypt). Retrieved from
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2016-2017/africa/egypt
Social Security Administration. (2017). Social Security Throughout the World. Retrieved from
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/
“Social Security.” Social Security History, SSA’s Office of Legislation & Congressional Affairs,
20 Apr. 1983, www.ssa.gov/history/1939amends.html.
“Social Security.” Social Security History, SSA’s Office of Legislation & Congressional Affairs,
26 Nov. 1984, www.ssa.gov/history/1983amend.html.
http://www.hudson.org/content/researchattachments/attachment/705/1983_social_security_reforms
http://www.hudson.org/content/researchattachments/attachment/705/1983_social_security_reforms
https://www.french-property.com/guides/france/finance-taxation/taxation/social-security
https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/the-social-security-financing-bill-for-2016
http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/social-security-act
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2016-2017/africa/egypt
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/
http://www.ssa.gov/history/1939amends.html
http://www.ssa.gov/history/1983amend.html
Trading Economics. (2018). Egypt Social Security Rate for Employees (2004-2018). Retrieved
from https://tradingeconomics.com/egypt/social-security-rate-for-employees
https://tradingeconomics.com/egypt/social-security-rate-for-employees