Obama Administration: Unemployment, Healthcare, Federalism and Social Welfare!
The Obama administration still struggles with unemployment, which is presently above 9% and from recent speculations is expected to remain that way beyond 2012 elections. In his Labor Day address to residents of Detroit President Obama reiterated his administrations’ commitment to bringing the unemployment rate to zero. On Thursday his speech regarding joblessness in America confirmed this aspiration. (Kerbs 2011).
There have been several health care reform strategies and legislated changes under the Obama administration. On 21st March 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Act came into law. It was intended to address issues pertaining to affordable health care for all Americans in terms of accessibility and opportunities of the uninsured to acquire quality healthcare. (Levey 2010)
Precisely, it was the forerunner to a more discrete legislation informing Americans that everyone had to obtain health insurance coverage. To date there is still contention regarding imposed health insurance coverage upon citizens who believe that health care reform did not have to include this compulsory criterion.
According to Thomas Gais (2010) of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Obama administration has gained the most participation among states regarding federal government administration ever experienced since the 1960’s (Gais 2010). This was achieved by offering funding and being flexible in terms of central control while maintaining it. A wide range of strategies have been designed to implement cooperation through political control from Washington DC. (Gais 2010).
President Obama’s administrative policies and practices in Social Welfare administration are clear. It is aimed at restoring integrity to marginalized populations by offering tax cuts to low income earners and small business owners. (Obama 2008) As such, it is my belief that Social Service programs should be the responsibility of Federal government for equitable distribution among minorities and disadvantaged groups in the society.
Works cited
Gais, Thomas. "Federalism and the Obama administration."The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of
Government. New York: University of Albany, 2010. Print.
Krebs, Michael. "Obama on unemployment: congress needs to get on board." Digital journal 5th
Sept 2011: 1. Print
Levey, Noam. "House passes historic healthcare overhaul." Los Angeles times 22nd March, 2010:
1. Print
Obama, Barack. Change We Can Believe In. 1. New York: Kindle. 2008. Print.
