The HBO series titled “The Newsroom” has fictional characters who honestly speak at the economic, political, cultural, social and moral statuses of the United States. This debate originates when a question is asked on whether America is the greatest country of the world by a member of the audience who is a student (AbuWadee3, 2012). America has been known a country that has enacted legal and moral laws given its value system, fought wars to eradicate poverty, and cured diseases and that makes Americans think is the basis of the greatness status. This essay is a critical historical analysis of the policy issues on Diversity and opportunities and the milestones that America has achieved in enacting Immigration and Social Security policies.
American population is diverse in nature when one examines the different religious, political and racial and ethnic groups found within its population. This can also be well understood when one looks deeply at the English Speaking North America and the French as well as the Spanish Colonial States of The United States. In the past, The American whites considered Native Americans a threat to their Expansion while African Americans were treated as only sources of cheap labour. This later changed when the American states achieved independence and subsequently ratified the constitution. The American State subsequently began to change its attitudes in diversity in the laws that were enacted to govern citizenship. In particular, the founding fathers considered the slaves as non-constituent members of the United States Society and therefore laws that governed liberty and citizenship were inapplicable to them. Slaves and other immigrants continued to be barred from acquiring citizenship until more recently when the Immigrants Act of 1943 was enacted to allow immigrants of Chinese, and African descent to be naturalized.
In America, recognition of diversity in the population often pitted different groups of people especially when the emaciated groups are seeking to have their political, social, economic and cultural rights recognized. This was specifically reflected when racism continued to persist in American work environment which was hostile to the immigrant populace and Black Americans. The Women and African Americans were denied rights to vote, find decent Jobs, own homes, guaranteed retirement with benefits and pension. This changed with The Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986 which allowed previously unauthorized citizens to acquire citizenship, give their children legal status and dictate the legal framework to deal with unauthorized immigrants. The Immigration Reforms that America has adopted today are often a tradeoff between criminalizing unauthorized aliens as well as unifying immigrants with their families. Diversity is still an issue in America that triggers anxiety as American people continue to worry about Minority-Majority Status but overall diversity should not be considered as indifference but as a good factor in advancing an American society rich in values, culture and opportunities.
In American Societies, people are always faced with uncertainties in life that are brought by illness, unemployment, death, old age and disability. These threats tend to inevitably affect the social, political and economic security of members of the society. The earliest communities in the United States recognized that some members of the society would we disadvantaged in finding opportunities and the local colonial villages recognized that they had an obligation to assist the needy. They, thus, developed a welfare program where they aided their neighbors and friends. This continued until a time when formal organized measures were adapted which involved giving monetary allowances and pension to certain groups of people which included the poor, disabled, and children without parents .
America has been at the forefront in addressing social and economic insecurity and imbalance among the members of the society through individual and collective strategies. Individual strategies often involve one accruing investments and savings when they are working but also collective efforts are done through workers unions, governmental institutions and charity organizations. The efforts usually have a mix of insurance policies that reduce the economic risks of the vulnerable members of the society. In America, Benjamin Franklin initiated the first insurance companies in 1752 with the main aim of helping the prosperous populace to protect their valued properties form hazards of life. This later changed in the reign of President Franklin Roosevelt when there was adoption of a social insurance system in America. The Social insurance policy helps in curbing the issues of economic security associated with industrial civilizations. Folks contribute to a centralized trust run by the national administration and from this pool, the government can provide individuals with income when they are unable to support themselves when they are disadvantaged anytime in their life. The American congress has continued to pass Social welfare Acts which serves to ensure all American people have fair opportunities such as the Freeze Legislation of 1954 that benefited the disabled in the society and Federal insurance Contributions Act that is aimed at benefiting senior citizens.
In conclusion, it has been demonstrated that America as a country has made great progress on the issues that touch the lives of common citizens. In particular, America has a sound Immigration Policy that reflects tradeoffs between criminalizing illegal immigrants and giving the opportunities to participate in national development agenda. The country also has a superior social security insurance policy that benefits the American people by guarantying equal opportunities to advance in life.
Reference
AbuWadee3. (2012). Why America is NOT the greatest country in the world, anymore. YouTube. Retrieved 26 May 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqcLUqYqrs
