American
Government |  Sites
gouvernementaux de |
Page révisée le 2 mai 2008
[ Go to Canadian Social Research Links Home Page ]
American
Government | Sites
gouvernementaux de |
Related Canadian Social Research Links pages: American
Non-Government Social Research Links (A-J) For links to information about poverty measures and poverty measurement in the U.S., go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page of this site: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm What
are good sources of information on basic trends in poverty, welfare, and related
issues in America?
| Poverty
Dispatch - U.S. Latest content: May
1, 2008 April
28, 2008 Past
Poverty Dispatches Source:
************************************************** Welfare
reform - From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia: |
U.S.
Census Bureau: History
http://www.census.gov/history/
While
the U.S. Census Bureau has only been in existence since 1903, the first population
census was taken in 1790, per the requirements stated in the United States Constitution.
This rather engaging website traces the history of the census through statistics,
historic photographs, and other documents. On the homepage, visitors can browse
through the "This Month in Census History" feature and learn some quick
facts in the "Did You Know?" section. Moving along, the "Census-Then
& Now" area should not be missed. Here visitors can learn about past
directors of the census (such as Thomas Jefferson), read up on relevant legislation,
and even look over biographies of notable census alumni. Next up is the "Geography
& Mapping" section which contains an overview of how the Census maps
data, coupled with a few famous maps from censuses past. One item that shouldn't
be missed is the "Centers of Population" map, which shows the mean center
of the population of the United States following each census. The site is rounded
out by a "Through The Decades" feature, which brings visitors up to
speed with the various changes made for each census.
Review by:
The
Scout Report
http://scout.wisc.edu/
Copyright
Internet Scout Project 1994-2008.
-----------------------------------------------
The
Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S. House of Representatives publishes transcripts
of the hearings it holds on issues in its areas of responsibility.
For
a complete list of these hearings, see
<http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp>.
Some
of the hearings in 2007 and 2008 have focused on topics relating to (U.S.) poverty
and social welfare policy, as you can see in the list below.
To see the complete
list of hearings and to view any transcript, click the link above.
Selected
hearings:
(4-15-2008) Hearing on the Instability of
Health Coverage in America Health
(4-10-2008) Hearing on Extending Unemployment
Insurance Income Security and Family Support
(2-28-2008) Hearing on Medicare
Advantage Health
(1-16-2008) Hearing on Social Security Benefits for Economically
Vulnerable Beneficiaries Social Security
(11-14-2007) Hearing on Impact of
Gaps in Health Coverage on Income Security Income Security and Family Support
(9-19-2007)
Hearing on Modernizing Unemployment Insurance to Reduce Barriers for Jobless Workers
(9-6-2007)
Hearing on Fair and Equitable Tax Policy for America’s Working Families.
(8-1-2007) Hearing on Measuring Poverty in America
(4-26-2007) Hearing on
Proposals for Reducing Poverty
More...[link
to the list of hearings]
Source:
Committee
on Ways and Means
[ U.S.
House of Representatives ]
-------------------------------------------
Fiscal
Year 2009 Budget (FY09)
- Transmitted to Congress
on February 4, 2008
- Covers the fiscal year beginning October 1,
2008
Browse
the FY09 budget - links to: Budget Documents | Appendix | Supporting Documents
| Related Documents | Spreadsheets
Description
of FY09 budget documents
Sample content from the 2009 budget:
Overview
of the President's 2009 Budget (PDF file, 399K)
The
Nation's Fiscal Outlook (PDF file, 450K)
Department
of Health and Human Services (PDF file, 490K)
Department
of Housing and Urban Development (PDF file - 442K)
Social
Security Administration (PDF file, 411K)
Previous Budgets - back to 1996
Source:
Government
Printing Office (GPO)
State
Budget Links
(direct link to the website of the National Association
of State Budget Officers)
---------------
Related Web/News/Blog links:
Google Search Results
Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms
(without the quote marks):
"2009 US federal budget"
Web
search results page
News search results
page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca
Related Links from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
2009
Federal Budget Analysis
- incl. links to extensive budget analysis
and special features, e.g., Introduction to the Federal Budget, Slideshow: Federal
Budget Overview
Sample content:
--- The
Dubious Priorities of the President’s Budget
"The President's
budget would provide more tax cuts heavily skewed to the most well-off while cutting
vital services for low- and moderate-income Americans, generating large deficits,
and increasing the strain on states already confronting budget problems as a result
of the economic downturn. The budget reflects misguided priorities that would
leave the American people more vulnerable in a number of ways...."
---
President's Budget Would Push States
Deeper into Fiscal Crisis
"Federal grants to states and localities
cut deeply in Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Budget"
State
Budget Debates
- analysis of state budget issues including multi-state
trends, the adequacy and equity of tax policies, structural budget issues, and
budget transparency
From the Center for Law and Social Policy:
President’s
Budget Disregards Sound Investments for Young Children (small PDF
file - 5 pages)
February 4, 2008
by Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen. Every
Administration uses the budget to send a signal about its priorities for the coming
year. In this period of economic downturn, when our most vulnerable children and
families need access to comprehensive supports, the message of this budget is
simple and stark: children in low-income working families don’t matter.
U.S. Government Sites
USA.gov
- "Government Made Easy"
- incl. links to : * Agency Index * Federal
Government * State Government * Local Government * Tribal Governments
Government
Information by Topic :
* Benefits and Grants * Consumer
Guides * Defense and International * Environment, Energy, and Agriculture * Family,
Home, and Community * Health and Nutrition * History, Arts, and Culture *
Jobs and Education
* Money and Taxes * Public Safety and Law * Reference
and General Government * Science and Technology * Travel and Recreation * Voting
and Elections
Senior
Citizens' Resources - USA.gov
- incl. links to : * Consumer Protection
for Seniors * Education, Jobs, and Volunteerism for Seniors * End-of-Life Issues
* Federal and State Agencies for Seniors * Health for Seniors * Housing for Seniors
* Laws and Regulations Concerning Seniors * Money and Taxes for Seniors * Retirement
* Travel and Recreation for Seniors
Government
Benefits, Grants and Financial Aid
Official information and services
from the U.S. government
GovBenefits.gov
- Your Benefits Connection
"...a partnership of Federal agencies
with a shared vision - to provide improved, personalized access to government
assistance programs."
[A Partner is a Federal, State or Local government
organization that makes benefit program information available to the public on
the GovBenefits.gov website. - from About
GovBenefits.gov
www.grants.gov
"Grants.gov,
which is part of President Bush's E-gov initiative, serves as a one-stop comprehensive
web clearinghouse for information about federal grant opportunities and grant
application materials."
DisabilityInfo.gov
"DisabilityInfo.gov
is a comprehensive online resource specifically designed to provide people with
disabilities with the information they need to know quickly. With just a few clicks,
the portal provides access to disability-related information and programs available
across the government on numerous subjects, including civil rights, education,
employment, housing, health, income support, technology, transportation, and community
life."
- Click on the tabs near the top of the home page to access a
wealth of information on the following themes: Home - Employment - Education -
Housing - Transportation - Health - Income Support - Technology - Community Life
- Civil Rights.
Sample content:
Income
Support --- incl. links to information about : Food Stamps - General -
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) - Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Social Security Work Incentives - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families -
Veterans Benefits - Welfare-To-Work
State
of the Union Address Related Link: Google.ca
Web Search Results: "State of
the Union Address" State
of the Union Archive |
Catalog
of Federal Domestic Assistance THOMAS
Legislative Information on the Internet U.S.
Government Manual CIA:
The World Factbook 2007 Download
the Factbook Source:
Related link: |
2004
Green Book This is the definitive authority on US social security programs, in the opinion of many... Here's the list of the programs
you'll find described in the Green Book: Social
Security: The Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance Programs - Medicare
- Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) - Unemployment Compensation - Earned Entitlements for
Railroad Employees - Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - Child Support Enforcement Program -
Child
Care - Title XX (Social Services Block Grant Program) - Child Protection,
Foster Care, and Adoption Assistance - Social Welfare Programs in the Territories
- Tax Provisions Related to Retirement, Health, Poverty, Employment, Disability,
and Other Social Issues - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation - Food
Stamp Program - Medicaid
- State Children's Health Insurance Program - Federal Housing Assistance - School
Lunch and Breakfast Programs - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) - Child and Adult Food Care Program - Workforce Investment
Act - Head Start - Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program - Veterans Benefits
and Services - Workers' Compensation Sample content from the section on TANF, the American welfare program for needy families with children: Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (PDF file - 375K, 98 pages) Source: |
Welfare
in America - Reports to Congress Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) : Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) : Current
and Earlier -
includes detailed information and tables on the following aspects of welfare
for able-bodied families with children* in America
: ----------------------------------------------- In 2003, child-only cases represented 38.6 percent of the total TANF caseload. Of these child-only cases, over half were children living with a caretaker relative with sufficient income not to receive assistance, one-fifth were families with a disabled parent receiving Supplemental Security Income, and a similar number were families in which the parent was ineligible for TANF because of his or her citizenship status. In the Canadian welfare system, "child-only" cases make up a very small proportion of the total welfare caseload --- a child-only case exists where a child at risk is taken into custody by the government and placed with an informal caregiver, usually a relative and usually on a temporary basis. Just a few more reasons not to compare U.S.
and Canadian welfare systems without situating each within its social policy context... Related links: Complementary report from Human Services Policy (also part of the Dept. of Health and Human Services): Indicators
of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress, 2007 -
Indicators of Dependence include : Degree of Dependence - Receipt of Means-Tested
Assistance and Labor Force Attachment - Rates of Receipt of Means-Tested Assistance
- Rates of Participation in Means-Tested Assistance Programs - Multiple Program
Receipt - Dependence Transitions - Dependence Spell Duration - Welfare Spell Duration
with No Labor Force Attachment - Long-Term Receipt - Events Associated with the
Beginning and Ending of Program Spells Earlier annual reports - back to 1997 |
General
Accounting Office
"The General Accounting Office is the audit,
evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress. GAO exists to support the Congress
in meeting its Constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance
and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the American people."
Supports
for Low Income Families
States Serve a
Broad Range of Families through a Complex and Changing System
Report
to the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
January
2004
Highlights
(PDF file - 69K, 1 page)
Complete
report (PDF file - 577K, 80 pages)
"(...) States have used TANF
funds to experiment with new support programs and have recognized that supports
like subsidized child care are an increasingly important support for low-income
working families. Most recently, states have faced fiscal crises and tough choices
about reducing their supports for low-income families. The emphasis on moving
people into work, though, remains a priority. As states continue to adjust supports
for low-income families in efforts to move forward with the reforms of the last
decade and improve efficiency, access, and coordination, they will also continue
to face the pressures of competing priorities and fiscal constraints."
[p.
39, [Concluding Observations]
Source:
General
Accounting Office
Department
of Health and Human Services
- incl. links to content organized under
the following headings:
Diseases & Conditions - Safety & Wellness
- Drug & Food Information - Disasters & Emergencies - Grants & Funding
- Reference Collections - Families & Children - Aging - Specific Populations
- Resource Locators - Policies & Regulations - About
HHS
Office
of Family Assistance (OFA)
"The Office of Family Assistance (OFA)
is located in the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration
for Children and Families and oversees the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) Program which was created by the Welfare Reform Law of 1996. TANF became
effective July 1, 1997, and replaced what was then commonly known as welfare:
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and the Job Opportunities and Basic
Skills Training (JOBS) programs. TANF provides assistance and work opportunities
to needy families by granting states the federal funds and wide flexibility to
develop and implement their own welfare programs."
Administration
for Children and Families
"ACF is a federal agency funding state,
local, and tribal organizations to provide family assistance (welfare), child
support, child care, Head Start, child welfare, and other programs relating to
children and families. Actual services are provided by state, county, city and
tribal governments, and public and private local agencies. ACF assists these organizations
through funding, policy direction, and information services."
Indicators
of Welfare Dependence: Annual Report to Congress, 2007 -
Indicators of Dependence include : Degree of Dependence - Receipt of Means-Tested
Assistance and Labor Force Attachment - Rates of Receipt of Means-Tested Assistance
- Rates of Participation in Means-Tested Assistance Programs - Multiple Program
Receipt - Dependence Transitions - Dependence Spell Duration - Welfare Spell Duration
with No Labor Force Attachment - Long-Term Receipt - Events Associated with the
Beginning and Ending of Program Spells Earlier annual reports - back to 1997 Source: Source: |
Welfare
Rolls Fall Under Two Million Total
Number of TANF Families and Recipients Source:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Secretary
Thompson Announces TANF Caseloads Declined in 2003 Change
in Numbers of TANF Families and Recipients Source:
|
Welfare-to-Work
Study Underscores Benefits of State Flexibility Complete report: Source: |
Report
Shows Effects of Education on Employment of Welfare Recipients Source: |
Sixth
Annual Welfare Reform Evaluation Conference Also from HSS: Fiscal
Year 2001 Report: Characteristics and Financial Circumstances of TANF Recipients |
Welfare
Reform (HHS)
Links to over 40 resources organized under the following
headings: Guidance and Status Documents - Essential Documents - Links and Research
- Statistics
Special : 10 years after welfare reform in the U.S. . A decade of welfare reform : Facts and figures, (PDF file - 47K, 6 pages) from The Urban Institute, Washington, June (2006). . Getting on, staying on and getting off welfare : The complexity of state-by-state policy choices (PDF file - 203K, 8 pages) G. Rowe and L. Giannarelli, The Urban Institute, Washington, July (2006). . Looking forward, looking back :Reflections on the 10th Anniversary of welfare reform (PDF file - 72K, 4 pages), N. K. Cauthen, National Center for Children in Poverty, New York, August (2006). . The outcomes of 1996 welfare reform (PDF file - 117K, 12pages), R Haskings, The Brookings Institution, Washington, Testimony, House Ways and Means Committee, July (2006). . TANF at 10 : Program results are more mixed than often understood (PDF file - 244K, 16pages), S. Parrott and A. Sherman, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Washington, August (2006). . Ten years after welfare reform. It's time to make work work for families (PDF file - K, 2 pages), E. Ganzglass, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, August (2006). . Getting punched : The job and family clock : It's time for flexible work for workers of all wages, (PDF file - 159K, 32 pages) J. Levin-Epstein, Center for Law and Social Policy, Washington, July (2006). Source: --------------------------------------- Bush
Administration Releases Interim Related ACF links:
* TANF Interim Final
Regulations (.pdf) |
Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
"The Assistant Secretary
for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is the principal advisor to the Secretary of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on policy development, and is
responsible for major activities in the areas of policy coordination, legislation
development, strategic planning, policy research and evaluation, and economic
analysis."
"There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: the poverty thresholds and the poverty guidelines. The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau (although they were originally developed by Mollie Orshansky of the Social Security Administration). The thresholds are used mainly for statistical purposes — for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. (In other words, all official poverty population figures are calculated using the poverty thresholds, not the guidelines.) Poverty thresholds since 1980 and weighted average poverty thresholds since 1959 are available on the Census Bureau’s Web site. For an example of how the Census Bureau applies the thresholds to a family’s income to determine its poverty status, see “How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty” on the Census Bureau’s web site. The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs. (The full text of the Federal Register notice with the 2008 poverty guidelines is available.) The poverty guidelines are sometimes loosely referred to as the “federal poverty level” (FPL), but that phrase is ambiguous and should be avoided, especially in situations (e.g., legislative or administrative) where precision is important. Key
differences between poverty thresholds and poverty guidelines are outlined in
a table under Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs). Source: ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- Further
Resources on Poverty Measurement, Poverty Lines, The
Development and History of the Poverty Thresholds Previous
HHS Poverty Guidelines Related link: Poverty
Thresholds (1973-2007 and selected earlier years back to 1959) |
| NOTE:
For links to more info about poverty measures and poverty measurement in the U.S.,
go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page of this site: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm |
Census
Bureau Poverty Page
- includes links to : * Poverty Home * Overview
*What's new * Publications * Definitions * Poverty Thresholds * Poverty Data Sources
* Current Poverty Data * Microdata Access * Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates
* History of the Poverty Measure * Poverty Measurement Studies and Alternative
Measures * Related Sites * FAQ
Poverty
Measurement Studies and Alternative Measures
- includes links to the
1976 Measure of Poverty report, the 1985 Williamsburg Conference and Technical
Papers 51-58, the 1995 National Academy of Sciences report and related reports
and papers, and the 2005 American Enterprise Institute seminar series
* Exploring the Use of the Views of the Public to Set
Income Poverty Thresholds and Adjust Them Over Time (PDF - 387K, 77 pages)
By Denton R. Vaughan
February 2004 (updated from June 1993)
Beginning in 1946 (more than two decades before Dutch economists began developing “subjective” poverty measures), the Gallup Poll in the U.S. repeatedly asked the following question: “What is the smallest amount of money a family of four (husband, wife, and two children) needs each week to get along in this community?” (Similar questions have been asked in Gallup Polls in Canada and Australia.) This paper by Vaughan is the most up-to-date and thorough analysis of the results of this “get-along” question. The paper uses the U.S. Gallup “get-along” responses for the period 1947-1989 plus the response to a 1989 Gallup “poverty line” question to construct a “Gallup-based” poverty line series for a four-person family for the 1947-1989 period.* Personal Assessments of Minimum Income and Expenses:
What Do They Tell Us about ‘Minimum Living’ Thresholds and Equivalence Scales? (PDF - 1.1MB, 69 pages)
By Thesia I. Garner and Kathleen S. Short
July 2002
This and similar papers by Garner and Short are probably the most up-to-date work on “subjective” poverty measures now being done in the United States.Poverty Thresholds (1973-2007 and selected earlier years back to 1959)
Links
to Related Sites
Find other agencies or organizations which provide
Poverty Measurement Research
-
Poverty Measurement
Working Papers
- incl. links to papers and reports organized
under the following themes:
* Measuring Poverty - Background and Overview
* Who are the Poor? Using Different Measures * Poverty Thresholds * Medical Care
* Housing Costs * Work-related Expenses and Child Care * Taxes and Unit of Analysis
* Other Approaches to Measuring Economic Well-being
History
of the Poverty Measure
- links to the following papers:
* The
Development of the Orshansky Thresholds and Their Subsequent History as the Official
U.S. Poverty Measure, by Gordon M. Fisher (1992)
* "Changes in the
Definition of Poverty", from Characteristics of the Population Below the
Poverty Level: 1980
* Office of Management and Budget Statistical Policy
Directive 14 (1978) - establishing the official poverty measure for federal
agencies to use in their statistical work.
* The Measure of Poverty (1976)
A series of technical papers about poverty measurement performed for the Poverty
Studies Task Force of the Federal Interagency Committee on Education.
* Family
Food Plans and Food Costs (1962)
Related Link:
Census Bureau Income Page - incl. links to : * What's New * Income Main * Overview * Reports * Definitions * Guidance about the Sources * How Income Data is Collected * Micro Data Access * Related Topics * FAQ * Current and historical income data
-----------------------------------------------
Household
Income Rises, Poverty Rate Declines,
Number of Uninsured Up
Press
Release
August 28, 2007
- includes a detailed backgrounder
Real
median household income in the United States climbed between 2005 and 2006, reaching
$48,200, according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. This
is the second consecutive year that income has risen. Meanwhile, the nation’s
official poverty rate declined for the first time this decade, from 12.6 percent
in 2005 to 12.3 percent in 2006. There were 36.5 million people in poverty in
2006, not statistically different from 2005.
The
number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 44.8 million (15.3
percent) in 2005 to 47 million (15.8 percent) in 2006.
These
findings are contained in the Income,
Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006
report [PDF file - 3MB, 78 pages]. The data were compiled from information collected
in the 2007 Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement
(ASEC).
Also released today were income, poverty and earnings data from the 2006 American Community Survey (ACS) for states and metropolitan areas, counties, cities and American Indian/Alaska Native areas of 65,000 population or more and all congressional districts. (This year marks the first time that the population in group quarters --- such as prisons, college dorms, military barracks and nursing homes --- is included, so the 2006 estimates are not fully comparable to the 2005 estimates.)
Income,
Earnings and Poverty in the United States: 2006 [PDF file - 1.5MB,
40 pages)]
August 2007
Data
tables
Income
data
Poverty
data
Health
Insurance data
Source:
American
Community Survey (ACS)
The American Community Survey is a nationwide
survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.
Poverty
Statistics
- includes links to : * Poverty Home * Overview * Publications
* Definitions * Thresholds * Microdata Access * Related
Sites * FAQ
[ U.S. Census
Bureau ]
Related Link:
Census Bureau Income Statistics Page - incl. Current Population Survey (CPS) | American Community Survey (ACS) | Decennial Census | Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) | Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) | Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates | Income Inequality | Access Tools | Definitions | Related Topics
| NOTE:
For links to more info about poverty measures and poverty measurement in the U.S.,
go to the Poverty Measures - International Resources page of this site: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty2.htm |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dynamics
of economic well-being : Poverty 1996-1999 (PDF file - 75K, 12 pages)
July 2003
Washington
Current population reports, n° P70-91
"This
report describes patterns of poverty using measures with different time horizons
and provides a dynamic view of the duration of poverty spells and the frequency
of transitions into and out of poverty. It further examines how poverty dynamics
vary across demographic groups. Data for this analysis were collected in the 1996
panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP),the latest completed
panel of the SIPP, and reflect the dynamics of poverty from January 1996 to December
1999."
Source : U.S. Census Bureau
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Population
Profile of the United States: 2000
"The Population Profile
of the United States: 2000 is the first Internet-only version of this US Census
Bureau product. It includes data from surveys conducted in the year 2000 and earlier,
as well as some limited Census 2000 data. This report attempts to provide the
public with updated information in the years in which a printed version has not
been issued. Chapters include population dynamics, households and housing, social
characteristics, household economics, and the facets of diversity. Primary sources
for this report come from the Census Bureau's Decennial Census of Population and
Housing, the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Survey of Income and Program
Participation (SIPP), and the American Housing Survey (AHS)."
Site Review by:
The Scout Report, Copyright
Internet Scout Project 1994-2002 (February 22, 2002 Issue)
Latest US Economic Indicators - 14 indicators, including Household Income 2000 and Poverty 2000
Census
2000 Supplementary Survey (C2SS)
American
FactFinder
The US Census has released the Census 2000 Supplementary
Survey (C2SS) data, the "most comprehensive and detailed data on American
families in 64 cities across the country today." The C2SS is the largest
survey the Census Bureau has ever conducted aside from the decenniel census. The
data are drawn from a monthly sample of 2,000 households, chosen on a rotating
basis from 58,000 households in 1,203 counties, as well as households in 36 ACS
test counties. The data are available at the American FactFinder site (first discussed
in the April 2, 1999 _Scout Report_), and operational information, narrative and
tabular profiles for all summary levels and rankings at the state, county, and
place levels also may be found at the C2SS site.
Reviewed by The
Scout Report, (Nov. 30, 2001)
Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001
Census
2000 Data Access and Use
This private company
website presents US Census data and related material. Updated weekly, the Website
focuses on news about Census data releases; descriptions of Census 2000 data products;
linkage of Census 2000 data with data from other decennial programs, most notably
the 1990 census and other federal statistical data; Census 2000 data access issues
in other federal agencies; and methodological resources and information concerning
Census data and use.
- Reviewed by the Scout
Report for Social Sciences
The
Changing Shape of the Nation's Income Distribution, 1947-98
Are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?
Issued June 2000
- click above for
links to text, figures and tables
See, for example...
Figure
1. Change in Income Inequality for Families: 1947-1998
Complete
report (PDF file - 227K, 11 pages)
Poverty
in the United States: 1999
Issued September
2000
Press
Release (September 26, 2000)
Press
Briefing
Click on the title of the report (above)
for links to the text, graphs and related information, or...
Complete
report (PDF file - 6.5MB, 88 pages)
Methodology
for Determining Whether an Increase in a State or Territory's Child Poverty Rate
Is the Result of the TANF Program; Final Rule |
Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) Homelessness
Housing
Choice Voucher Program Fact Sheet (Section 8) Cuomo
Releases Historic Report that Paints Most Comprehensive Picture ever of Homelessness
in America |
The US Social Statistics Briefing Room (Crime Statistics - Demographic Statistics [incl. population, income, poverty] - Education Statistics - Health Statistics)
Medicare
Legislation Becomes Law Related Links: Medicare.Gov - " The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare"
Medicare rewrite is not a cure-all U.S.
medicare legislation ===> 709,000 Google.ca Web Search
Results |
New
Report Details Wal-Mart's*
Labor
Abuses and Hidden Costs
Press Release
February
16, 2004
"MARTINEZ, CA – Wal-Mart’s rock bottom wages and benefits
cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year in basic housing, medical,
childcare, and energy needs that the retailer fails to properly cover for its
employees, according to a report released today by Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez)."(...)
The report estimates the costs borne by taxpayers for things like medical insurance
and housing assistance for Wal-Mart employees that can’t afford them because
of their low wages and benefits. The report shows that taxpayers would have to
pick up $420,750 per year for a hypothetical Wal-Mart store employing 200 people.
(...) The report also provides a comprehensive review of
Wal-Mart’s numerous anti-worker practices, including union-busting activities,
discrimination against women and disabled workers, violation of child and undocumented
labor laws, unpaid overtime, and unsafe workplace policies, like locking workers
into stores overnight. Wal-Mart has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits
and critical media scrutiny on all of these issues. The Washington Post just reported
on labor abuses in China at the hands of Wal-Mart."
NOTE: this press release
also includes highlights from the report and links to four recent related articles
in the American media
Complete report:
Everyday
Low Wages : The Hidden Price We All Pay for Wal-Mart (PDF file - 195K,
25 pages)
Report by the Democratic staff of the Committee on Education and
the Workforce
U.S. House of Representatives
Representative George Miller
(D-CA)
Source:
Congressman
George Miller's website
*NOTE:
For more links to the impacts of Wal-Mart in the US and elsewhere,
go
to the Banks and Business Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bookmrk3.htm
Minimum Wages in the
U.S.
- Federal
- $5.15 since Sept. 1, 1997
- Minimum
Wage Laws in the States (clickable map for all U.S. territories, showing which
states use lower, higher or the same minimum wage levels as the federal amount)
Source : U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Federal Minimum Wage Congress
passes increase in the minimum wage Congress
OKs raise for minimum-wage workers A
long-overdue raise for millions (Editorial) Minimum
wage increase was long overdue (Opinion) Source: Related links: Federal
Minimum Wage Rates, 1955–2006 Related Web/News/Blog links: Google Search Results
Links - always current results! |
A
Profile of the Working Poor, 2003 (PDF file
- 75K, 14 pages)
March 2005
Released April 4, 2005
"In 2003, 35.9
million people, 12.5 percent of the population, lived at or below the official
poverty threshold—1.3 million more than in 2002. Although the Nation’s
poor were primarily children and adults who were not in the labor force, 1 in
every 5, or 7.4 million individuals, were classified as “working poor.”
This level was about the same as in 2002. The working poor are those who spent
at least 27 weeks in the labor force (working or looking for work), but whose
incomes fell below the official poverty threshold. The working-poor rate—the
ratio of the working poor to all individuals in the labor force for at least 27
weeks—was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the rate reported in 2002."
Source:
U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
[ U.S. Department
of Labor ]
Also from the Bureau of Statistics:
Characteristics
of Minimum Wage Workers: 2004
April 5, 2005
- incl. 10 tables
with characteristics of minimum wage workers in 2004 ("Employed wage and
salary workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the prevailing Federal
minimum wage, 2004 annual averages: 1. by selected characteristics 2. by census
region and division 3. by State 4. by major occupation group 5. by major industry
group 6. by educational attainment 7. by age and sex 8. by marital status, age,
and sex 9. by usual hours worked per week 10. by sex (1979-2004 annual averages)
Employment
& Unemployment - National Employment • National Unemployment Rate
• State and Local Employment • State and Local Unemployment Rates •
Mass Layoffs • Employment Projections • Job Openings and Labor Turnover
• Employment by Occupation • Longitudinal Studies • State and County
Employment • Time Use • Business Employment Dynamics • Employment
Research Also includes Latest Numbers : CPI - Unemployment Rate - Payroll Employment - Average Hourly Earnings - PPI - ECI - Productivity - U.S. Import Price Index
Related
Links: go to the Social Statistics Links page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/stats.htm |
House
Adopts Higher Minimum Wage, $310 Billion in Tax Cuts
July 29, 2006
"The
House voted to boost the minimum wage for the first time since 1997 in Republican-backed
legislation that also cuts $310 billion in taxes, largely by reducing a levy on
multimillion-dollar estates. The minimum wage increase, and the inclusion of $38
billion in tax cuts that many Democrats support, were described by some Republicans
as a bid to attract votes for the estate tax legislation when it reaches the Senate,
where it has been rejected twice in the last month."
Source:
Bloomberg
("
Bloomberg is the leading global provider of data, news and analytics.")
NOTE: if passed by the U.S. Senate, the House measure would boost the federal minimum wage, now at $5.15 an hour, to $7.25 by June 1, 2009. Over 80% of the US population supports a minimum wage increase, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.
“Workers
Win” with Labor Department’s New Overtime Rules
FairPay Initiative
Guarantees Overtime Rights for Millions of Workers
April 20, 2004
"WASHINGTON—U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced the final regulations governing
overtime eligibility for “white-collar” workers under the Fair Labor
Standards Act. The regulations had not been substantially updated for over 50
years, creating confusion for workers and employers, generating wasteful class
action litigation, and failing to effectively protect workers’ pay rights.'Today,
workers win. The department’s new rules guarantee and strengthen overtime
rights for more American workers than ever before,'said Secretary Chao."
Source:
FairPay
Overtime Initiative
- incl. links to : Wage and Hour Division Home - FairPay
Resources (Preamble, Regulations, Economic Report, Side-by-Side, Online Training,
Seminar Download, FAQs, Amicus Program, Model Policy) -
FairPay Fact Sheets
(By Exemption, By Occupation) - Enforcement (File A Complaint, Statistics) - Contact
Us
[ part of the Wage and Hour Division
]
[ part of the Employment Standards Administration
]
[ part of the U.S. Department of
Labour ]
Google.ca Web Search Results: "FairPay
Overtime Initiative"
Google.ca News Search Results: "FairPay
Overtime Initiative"
Source:
Google.ca
From the the Economic Policy Institute (EPI): Longer
Hours, Less Pay Overtime
Rights and Recent EPI work on Overtime Issues Related Links: Overtime
law clarification is hard to figure |
A
profile of the working poor, 2001 (PDF file - 330K, 20 pages)
Washington
June
2003
"In 2001, 32.9 million people, or 11.7 percent of the population,
lived at or below the official poverty level. This was an increase of 1.3 million
from 2000. Most of the poor were children, or adults who had not participated
in the labor force during the year. However, about 6.8 million were in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more during the year. These persons were classified as the
working poor, and represented 4.9 percent of all persons who were in the labor
force for 27 weeks or more. The ranks of the working poor increased by 319,000
(0.2
percentage point) from the previous year."
Source:
Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS)
[ U.S. Department
of Labor ]
NOTE: the BLS is the American equivalent
to Statistics Canada. This
site contains myriad U.S. statistics covering a wide range of topics, including
: Inflation & Consumer Spending - Wages, Earnings, & Benefits - Productivity
- Safety & Health - International - Occupations - Demographics - and more...
(but
nothing specific about poverty or welfare)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The
Food Assistance Landscape, March 2005
Food Assistance and Nutrition
Research Report
"Expenditures for USDA's 15 food assistance programs totaled
$46 billion from October 1, 2003, to September 30, 2004, marking the second consecutive
year in which spending exceeded the previous record high. The fiscal 2004 spending
level represented a 10-percent increase from the previous fiscal year, the fourth
consecutive year in which total food assistance expenditures increased. Five programs—the
Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the School Breakfast
Program, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program—accounted for 94 percent
of USDA's total expenditures for food assistance."
Complete report:
The Food Assistance Landscape, March 2005 (PDF file - 247K, 6 pages)
Related Links:
Food
& Nutrition Assistance Programs
Food
Security in the United States (ERS Briefing Room)
Source:
Economic
Research Service (ERS) [ U.S. Department of
Agriculture ]
Modernization of Food Stamp
Program Almost Complete
June 2004
Food
Stamp Program Goes Electronic
Food-Bank
Comment Causes Furor
NPR:
Commentary: Food Stamps and Medicare
USDA:
Food Stamp Program
The
WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues
A
Guide to Food Stamp Program Outreach
"Started in 1939, the food stamp program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture is one of the entitlement programs designated to provide a safety net for Americans. The program enjoys some of the greatest bipartisan support and continues to be immensely successful. Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture announced that the paper stamps which have been issued under the program for over six decades will be completely phased out later this month and replaced by a plastic card that operates in the same fashion as a bank debit card. As part of this transformation of the program, the Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman has commented that the Agriculture Department will be asking for suggestions for a new name for the food stamp program, a move that may also reduce some of the stigma that has been associated with this extremely valuable initiative in the past. Currently only six counties in California and the U.S. territory of Guam still use the paper food stamps. The usually staid Department of Agriculture has also been in the news as of late due to a comment made by a senior official in that government office who noted in an interview that people who eat at food banks are "taking the easy way out." Several elected officials from the state of Ohio took great exception to his comment, remarking in a letter sent to his office that "You have displayed a disparaging attitude toward the victims of hunger and an astonishing lack of awareness of what is happening beyond the Beltway." [KMG]
The first link leads to a news
piece from the Washington Post that discusses the modernization of the delivery
system for food stamps in detail. The second link will take visitors to a news
brief from MSNBC that provides a summary of the debate surrounding the recent
comment made by a senior official at the Department of Agriculture regarding the
use of food banks. The third link leads to a 3-minute audio feature from NPR on
the continuing popularity of food stamp programs across the United States, reported
by the venerable Daniel Schorr. The fourth link leads to the official United States
Department of Agriculture website about the food stamp program, complete with
eligibility details and research reports on the effectiveness of the program.
The fifth link leads to an October 2002 report on the continued success of the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (known
colloquially as WIC), which "safeguards the health of low-income women, infants,
and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk." The last and final link
leads to a site that provides some fine information on the various food stamp
benefit program outreach activities that are intended to provide information on
eligibility and benefits, with the primary goal of increasing the participation
rate amongst those eligible parties."
Review by The
Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household
Food Security in the United States, 2002
October 2003
Food Assistance
and Nutrition Research Report
"Eighty-nine percent of American households
were food secure throughout the entire year 2002, meaning that they had access,
at all times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.
The remaining households were food insecure at least some time during that year.
The prevalence of food insecurity rose from 10.7 percent in 2001 to 11.1 percent
in 2002, and the prevalence of food insecurity with hunger rose from 3.3 percent
to 3.5 percent. This report is based on data from the December 2002 food security
survey."
Summary
of Study Findings (PDF file - 73K, 2 pages)
Table
of contents + links to all chapters and appendices
Complete
report (PDF file - 421K, 58 pages)
Source:
Economic
Research Service
Related Links - see to the Canadian Social Research Links Food Banks and Hunger page
Mystifying
Data: Can America's Promise Get Away with It?
July
1999
From Energize,
Inc. - "especially for leaders of volunteers"
Source
: Office of International Information Programs
(IIP)
(formerly the Information Bureau of the United States Information
Agency)
What's
New - Government Resources on the Web - links to
almost 600 resources added to the University of Michigan's Documents Center since
January 2002
Source : University
of Michigan Documents Center
Washington
File
The Washington File provides United States
Government official texts, policy statements and interpretive material, features,
and byline articles prepared daily by the U.S Department of State, International
Information Programs.
Source : U.S.
Department of State
Social Security Administration Home Page - "The Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration"
US
Totalization Agreement with Canada*
Social Security Administration
(Last revised January 2000)
Canada-US
reciprocal social security agreement
*Includes
brief descriptions of the various types of Social Security benefits payable
under the US and Canadian Social Security systems and briefly describes the eligibility
requirements for each. Also includes links to more information from the US and
Canada
Social
Security Handbook- Your Basic Guide to the Social Security Programs
What programs are included under the Social Security Act and
related laws?
The following programs are included:
A.Retirement
insurance;
B.Survivors insurance;
C.Disability insurance;
D.Hospital
and medical insurance for the aged, the disabled, and those with end-stage renal
disease;
E.Black lung benefits;
F.Supplemental security income;
G.Unemployment
insurance; and
H.Public assistance and welfare services, including:
- Aid to needy families with children;
- Medical assistance;
- Maternal
and child health services;
- Child support enforcement;
- Family and child
welfare services;
- Food stamps; and
- Energy assistance
Social
Security Online’s new name and look reinforce the Agency’s commitment
to providing everyone with choices in ways of conducting business with SSA. Social
Security Online continues to offer a variety of online services that allow people
to access information and conduct business with SSA from the convenience of their
computers at any time.
Some examples are:
Benefits
Planner – The online Benefits Planner contains a Retirement Planner,
Disability Planner and Survivors Planner with valuable information about retirement,
disability and survivors benefits and factors that can affect them.
Social
Security eNews – eNews is an electronic newsletter available free
to subscribers through SSA’s Internet site.
Benefit
Eligibility Screening Tool (B.E.S.T.) – B.E.S.T. is a tool that anyone
can use to find out if they may be eligible for benefits from any of the programs
that SSA administers.
Business
Services Online (BSO) – BSO consists of a suite of services to help
companies to conduct business with SSA.
Social
Security Online For Women – For Women provides basic Social Security
program information on retirement, survivors, disability and SSI benefits pertinent
to women.
Multilanguage
Gateway – A site providing information online in 15 different languages,
including useful information about Social Security programs and SSA’s interpreter
service.
The Work Site
– The site contains important i