Introduction to Social Problems

1. Introduction to Social Problems

2. Problems Still Exist…. • Despite these accomplishments massive social problems remain, with little or ineffective federal intervention.

3. Implementing Solutions…. • These social problems have solutions, but the federal government rarely acts decisively to ameliorate them. • Conservatives are hostile to the New Deal legacy of what they define as “big government.” • Progressives’ counter these ideas by arguing that laissez-faire approach guarantees exaggerated inequality. They state that it is not bad people but social structural impediments that doom some to fail.

4. Implementing Solutions…. • Added to the ideological gridlock is the power of interest groups and their extraordinary lobbying efforts to influence legislation. • A final source of federal inaction against social problems is caution by many members of Congress and presidents to attempt new and bold plans.

5. State and Local Solutions…. • With Washington often immobilized, some states and local governments are filling the social policy vacuum and bold initiatives. • These state actions are in contrast to federal inaction caused by the reasons noted, as well as other developments. • However, governors, whether Republican or Democrat, find that it is not easy being a service-slashing ideologue on the state level, where they are closer than politicians in Washington to the people.

6. Conclusion…. • What appears to be happening in some states and cities (certainly not all) is that Republicans and Democrats, unlike at the federal level, sometimes join in common cause to legislate fro the common good. • This course explores local and state initiatives that demonstrate possible solutions to social problems, with the hope that the successful ones will “bubble up” to the federal level.