This week’s chart — one of 15 featured in this year’s report — depicts the percentage of the U.S. population who receive government assistance and the total number of individuals who are dependent on the federal government.
Fifty years ago, before President Lyndon Johnson created the Great Society programs, some 21.7 million people (or 11.7 percent of the population) received assistance through government programs that existed at the time. The number increased sharply in the 1960s and 1970s before falling in the 1990s. Recently, however, it has skyrocketed.
“Americans should be concerned about this seemingly relentless upward march in Index scores,” wrote Heritage authors Bill Beach and Patrick Tyrrell. “Dependence on the federal government for life’s many challenges strips civil society of its historical and necessary role in providing aid and renewal through the intimate relationships of family, community, and local institutions and local governments.”
Reversing the trend won’t be easy, but there are solutions. Heritage’s plan, Saving the American Dream, reforms government programs in a way that would significantly reduce the growth of dependence on government.
Tags: Chart of the Week, civil society, federal government, government employees, Great Society, Index of Dependence on Government, Lyndon Johnson, Saving the American Dream, Rob Bluey, Heritage Foundation To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
0 comments:
Post a Comment