Is it social or corporate welfare that contributes more to Americas huge debt?

Question

And why is one accepted as being better than the other?

Answer 1

You mean the corporations the hire, pay and give very good wages and a great living to millions of Americans AND those overseas???...those corporations????.....the ones that makes things and supply services that makes YOUR life easier and has spoiled you beyond belief??? those corporations???..the ones that do research and development, but their money at risk, make better drugs for whatever ails you???.....or the social welfare that turns people into lazy, non productive citizens.....JUST the opposite of what corporations do.....good grief...

Answer 2

Well it depends what you want to define as "social welfare". If you limit it to the "welfare programs" like the reformed ones in the 90s, then it is very little, and a lot of that money comes from the states. If you want to have it include all of the entitlement programs, then it is definately the social welfare.

Social security, medicare, and medicaid now make up about 40% of the budget. Thats up from 33% in 2000, and these programs are continuing to explode as the population beomces older. Just the increase in proportion of the budget is about $280 billion per year, which is larger then the past years deficit of $160 billion. So if they had grown at the same rate as the rest of the budget over this time period, which is still huge considering all the war and security spending increases, and no child left behind, then we would have a balanced budget right now. T

The problem is only getting worse too. The deficits we have right now are a drop i the bucket compared to what is coming if nothing is done about it, and a few small tax increases isnt going to pay for it either. MOst estimated place social security and medicare consuming the euqivelent of the entire buget with a few decades, so tax rates would have to be over doubled to mantain the same level of beniftis, which would probably destroy the economy, further exaserbating the problem.

Corporate welfare isnt so much programs as it is tax subsidies for various activities, like medical research, and oil exploration. Some is ligit, some isnt. It contributes to smaller tax receipts, but it really is miniscule compared to the outlayed of the entitlement programs.

Answer 3

actual the two varieties of welfare are undesirable. the concern although is that company welfare oftentimes retains jobs in america and enables human beings. Social welfare courses without incentive to flow to a paying activity does not something yet drain tax payer money. you're somewhat out of touch with issues and somewhat mad approximately freightliner shifting this is plant. seem at what number Korean, eu, and jap motor vehicle and tire producers have set up plant life in america all non-union with solid wages and greater effectual high quality than the yankee Unions placed out.

Answer 4

Conservatives will tell you that it is social welfare that is responsible because they are pro-business

Liberals will tell you that it is corporate welfare that is responsible because they are pro-worker (average joe).

It would be interesting to lay out the expenses side by side to see just exactly who is more responsible for the huge debt.

My own personal opinion - it would be Corporate Welfare. If you run a business and you take risks which result in your business going into a tail spin - then you have no one to blame for this poor decision but yourself and should not need a government bail-out or handout to keep you in with the 'status quo'.

Social welfare - on the other hand - should be limited to those who have uncontrollable circumstances (such as losing a job because of plant closing, extreme weather catastrophe, etc) to assist them in getting back on their feet - within a certain specified amount of time. At this time of year we should remember the great words of Jacob Marley from "A Christmas Carol"...in regards to business - "Mankind should be our business"

Answer 5

Corporate welfare is very small compared to the "entitlement" programs that make up the social welfare.

Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, etc, etc, which make up the "mandatory" part of the budget (hint, the government is under no obligation, except re-election, to disburse these to the public) account for $1.5 trillion for 2007.

Throw in Education (50 billion), HHS (67 billion), HUD (34 billion), Agriculture (20 billion), and the total spent on areas of dubious constitutional merit climb to $1.7 trillion.

Corporate welfare, which is just as much a corruption of the constitution as the above examples, is significantly less than that, by a factor of 100 or more!

Answer 6

Social welfare, by far and away.

Medicare alone costs in the hundreds of billions.

Borrowing money to pay for social program is insanity.

Are you actually asking a question that you intend to look favorably on Republicans?

Answer 7

Corp. is bigger problem, social money is quickly put back into economy, corporate take a long time to be put back and often then it is only fractional return, depending on case. You did not ask about WAR...but that seems to be a major sourse of Corporate welfare as well.

Answer 8

Actually, it is the heavy borrowing from foreign creditors that initiallly puts the US into huge debt. In order to fund needless foreign conflicts halfway around the world, neocons would rather max out the national credit card rather than raise taxes (which past "war-time" presidents have done).

Of the two you mentioned, however, it is corporate welfare that is more of a burden. After all, giving handouts and unnecessary tax breaks to mulitnational corporations in the form of "economic incentives" has shown to actually increase the rolls on social welfare programs thanks to reduced wages and cuts in benefits to the working class in order to appease shareholders and increase profit margins.

Answer 9

Clinton wrote the US budget from 1997 to 2004 and managed to go from a 4% deficit to a 23% deficit.

President Bush has consistently spent 70% of his budgets on domestic human resources while paying the 2003 Clinton 23% deficit down to 9%. Sounds like President Bush is doing a good job so far.

I have to say that Democrats contribute the most to national debt, especially since their raping of the SSI system starting in the 1960's and their refusal to work with President Bush to fix it.

Answer 10

Definitely corporate welfare. The "privatization" of government in the name of efficiency has been the main source of most of the waste, fraud, and abuse we've seen in the last 6 years and 11 months. Two prime examples:

1) Agriculture aid. In theory, and in its original design, it was to support small farmers. However, it's turned into welfare for corporate agri-giants, who reap 90% of the aid, while small family farms continue to shut down or be bought out because they can't compete with the large farms.
2) Privatizing Defense Department functions. The Army Corps of Engineers used to be the main unit within the Armed Forces for building ANYTHING the services needed in combat areas, as well as completing special projects like levees in New Orleans that were in the national interest. Now those projects are outsourced in guaranteed for profit contracts to Halliburton/KBR and other corporations with close ties to the current administration. On it's own, it's a good argument for charging Dick Cheney with treason, since he was on the Halliburton payroll while he was Vice President.

Answer 11

I would have to say that Corporate Welfare does both, it contributes to the huge debt, but it also is a vehicle for paying off that debt.

Social Welfare, is but a mere and very minor drop in the bucket compared to other expenditures by our govt, but it doesn't do a whole lot towards getting rid of the debt.

So to answer your question, I would have to Social Welfare contributes more because there isn't a potential of 'putting back into the system' of what that expenditure pays out.

Pork projects, lack of oversight on where money is truly going and the 'corporatization' of our govt has contributed more so than either of the types of welfare you're talking about. By corporatization of our govt, I am referring to perks, lobbyists and 'special interests' that has permeated our govt turning it into a Country Club.