How Federal Policies Narrow Class, Race, and Ethno-Religious Differences in the Middle Decades of The 20th Century - Free Essay Example

Cultural advancements and the nature of human geography that they produce are experienced over a long period. Nevertheless, culture transforms slowly and so does the perceptible landscape that it brings forth. The diverse cultural landscapes in the United States have developed as a consequence of demographic, technological and economic transformations. However, other scholars argue that state policies have helped in narrowing race, class and ethnographic variations during the 20th century asserting that these changes were not brought about by cultural advancements but rather these developments came about as a result of demographic, economic and technological advancements in the United States since World War II. According to historian Carl Degler, the New Deal was a concept which was innovative[footnoteRef:2]. He was of the belief that the New Deal was a representation of radical transformations in the way Americans perceived government and its duty in the economic development. Instead of expecting economic hurdles to be resolved through the market forces, Americans started to have expectations on the state and act in moments of economic trouble thus creating interventions that would help in making things better. [2: Degler, Carl N. The Third American Revolution.? Out of Our Past (New York: Harper Row, 1959)? (1971).] Degler perceived Social Security as a way of changing situations thus indicating that Americans perceived the state as a responsible way of making sure that elder Americans would get lives that were decent. This was considered as a change from the perception that this responsibility was solely on those people who had families. Deglar additionally argued that Social Security illustrated the flexibility of FDR as well as the will to experiment whenever the public demanded its implementation. Therefore, Americans were ready to undergo a transformation after they had experienced the extreme conditions which had been brought about by the Great Depression, whereby banks had failed, industries were flattered and the country was full of individuals who were not employed. Deglar further argued that the New Deal was made of a permanent change in the expectations of the American public who wanted the state to be an active player in the countrys economic development. According to a historian Baron Bernstein, writing that was done during 1960s argued that the New Deal was not perceived as a revolution and that the transformations that were suggested by Degler and other individuals had been blown out of proportion. Bernstein was of the view that President Roosevelt had worked hard to protect the current political system and that the transformations in the political system as well as changes in attitudes and policies were perceived as a break from the preceding moments. However, it is evident that there were less positive transformations that took place during this moment when America was repositioning itself in the international affairs while the country was experiencing numerous global and domestic challenges. Degler perceived the Social Security Act as a way of responding to the radical ideas as well as programs that attracted most Americans, similar to those that were proposed by Townsend. According to the Act, there were more signs that exceeded a single substance. Employees were supposed to make contributions to their old age pensions thus they were not able to rely on contributions made by government. Therefore, it was an aid that was somehow limited with more than a single entity of five family members being excluded from the pension scheme. Most of the employees included those who were working on the domestic farms. Degler argued that while the New Deal was aimed at bringing down the rate of suffering that it did not deserve the kind of praises that it was given. On this notion, it can be argued that there were less positive transformations that took place at the moment when America repositioned itself in conducting its international affairs[footnoteRef:3]. Most importantly, the humanity geography of the United States was changed thus reflecting on some of the main transformations in the United States. Maybe the largest geographical alterations included the quick utilization of rural lands, their changes into other smaller communities which are independent. While suburbanization had earlier started before the Second World War, it had seemed to intensify even after the war had en ded thus making America a nation that was commuting and one that depended on the foreign oil of automobiles. Whereas there were undeniable developments that had been made by Americans, the rate of suburbanization also increased the degree of racial segregation thus having to literally push the agenda of black and white segregation further apart. Americans had already gotten into the Great Migration till late 1970s thus bringing millions of African Americans towards the western and northern cities and the moment when the economy had been transformed, most of these individuals were rendered jobless[footnoteRef:4]. [3: American Yawp The Great Depression. Chapter 23: ] [4: Katznelson, Ira. When affirmative action was white. (2005).] Another argument by Degler was that the celebration of The New deal was aimed at changing the American ideas with regards to the state and the countys economy. In the same manner, Degler found that arguments that were fronted by individuals like Bernstein appeared to be gloomy with regards to the ideas fronted in the New Deal. He posited that having a parallel operation assisted people and businesses alike to grow and mature. Additionally, he argued that the objectives that were made to maintain the American structure and assist it to survive instead of changing it thus the version fronted by the American administration was that it would assist in survival instead of just changing the entire structure. It was evident that the vision of the administration was not just ambiguous but also inconsistent. Degler characterized the New Deal as a program that was practically exercised and one which applied Social Security as a good example in order to attain its practicality. He asserts that the Act could not have been widespread or rather it would have lost the support of the Congress. However, it can be argued that there are several aspects that led to the limitation of the extent in which the New Deal program which included congressional opposition which was conservative as well as reliance on a local state that failed to necessarily perform its duties in ways that were democratic and which were consistent with whatever the designers of the program had hoped to achieve. Most fundamentally, the highest constraint of the America citizens was social security thus leading to other underlying issues being used as conservative responses of the citizens with regards to the depression. It can further be argued that the New Deal fronted by FDR was as a result of the public system in America wh ich tolerated the revolution that was perceived by Degler as a revolution. When putting race into consideration, most Americans consider the color of the skin which is not a surprise provided the countrys history. Despite the discriminations and battles that the native Indians underwent, slavery is what led to the American Civil War thus sharpening the skin focus of Americans. Contrast to the above argument, there were black-white settlements in just one segment of the post world war two landscapes. Internal migration and immigration had been majorly complicated in many aspects of the American life, geography, politics and economy. According to the most recent patterns adopted during the 20th century, immigration overlay other methods of immigration. Other individuals formed places of that were quite diverse from the nominal pattern linked to that of the Europeans. Therefore, the history of racism in America is seen as modern immigrant assimilation in several ways whereby there is an influx of illegal immigrants that leads to the perception that there are alterations and racial compositions which result to siege of the American cultural diversity. Other individuals perceive it as enrichment because racism in America is seen in a unique manner and its trait have had such complex and long histories, which include geographical imprints and a general perceptio n of race that is generally applied to the social constructs. Bibiography American Yawp The Great Depression. Chapter 23: Degler, Carl N. The Third American Revolution.? Out of Our Past (New York: Harper Row, 1959)? (1971). Katznelson, Ira. When affirmative action was white. (2005).

What the New Fafsa Rules Mean for You

If your child is heading to college next fall, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to pay for it. If he or she will be attending a four-year, in-state public university, you could be looking at total room and board costs of over $88,000, based on data from the College Board and assuming a 3.5 percent annual inflation rate. And if you're thinking about a private school, four-year costs could exceed $200,000. It's not surprising that most families will need to rely on a combination of savings and financial aid to cover the costs. Many parents have been investing for college using 529 plans, but even diligent savers often come up short when it's time to pay tuition. One of the best ways to supplement savings is with grants, loans or work-study funds in the form of Federal Student Aid. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education hands out over $150 billion to more than 13 million college hopefuls. To determine if you're eligible to receive this kind of help you'll need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Sounds simple, right? Yet, in 2011-2012, around $9.5 million in Federal Pell Grants and $2.9 billion in state and institutional grants was left on the table because students chose not to fill out the FAFSA, estimates Edvisors. What once used to be a major headache for college students and their families, the FAFSA has undergone some major changes for the 2017-18 school year that should help ease some of the pain. Here are five important things to know about the updates. RELATED: How 7 different assets affect financial aid eligibility You can now apply for federal aid three months earlier. Instead of having to wait until January to submit their FAFSA, students can apply for aid as early as October 1st. Some colleges have also moved up their financial aid application deadlines to correspond with the new FAFSA date. Students would be wise to get a head start on their applications, as financial aid is often given out on a first-come, first-serve basis so getting an early start can pay off. The CSS Profile application kickoff also moved up. The CSS Profile, which is required by around 300 private schools, in addition to the FAFSA, will also be available October 1st. This form varies by school, but in most cases it requires more information regarding a family's income and assets than the FASFA, and weighs these factors differently. Grandparents have greater flexibility. When a grandparent helps pay for college, even when the money is taken from a 529 plan, it's counted as student income on the FAFSA. A student's financial aid package can be reduced by as much as 50 percent of the income value reported. In previous years, grandparents who wanted to help pay for college would have to wait until their grandchild's junior year, after the last FAFSA was filed, to avoid having to report anything. With the new rules, however, you must report "prior-prior" year income on the FAFSA, so students applying for aid for the 2017-18 school year would enter income from 2015. This offers grandparents greater flexibility in using 529 accounts to help pay for their grandchildren's college, allowing them to provide financial support as early as the student's sophomore year, after the second-to-last FAFSA is filed, without impacting financial aid eligibility. You won't have to estimate when reporting income. Before the new rules, the FAFSA process began in January of the year the student would start college. As mentioned above, families had to report prior year income, which often had to be estimated since they hadn't filed their tax returns yet. Students heading to college in 2017, however, are required to report 2015 income. Filing is that much easier. Using the preceding example, since 2015 tax returns would have already been filed, the data can be automatically transferred to the FAFSA with the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. RELATED: Top 10 financial aid myths: What you don't know can cost you If your child is heading to college next fall, it's time to start thinking about how you're going to pay for it. If he or she will be attending a four-year, in-state public university, you could be looking at total room and board costs of over $88,000, based on data from the College Board and assuming a 3.5 percent annual inflation rate. And if you're thinking about a private school, four-year costs could exceed $200,000. It's not surprising that most families will need to rely on a combination of savings and financial aid to cover the costs. Many parents have been investing for college using 529 plans, but even diligent savers often come up short when it's time to pay tuition. One of the best ways to supplement savings is with grants, loans or work-study funds in the form of Federal Student Aid. Each year, the U.S. Department of Education hands out over $150 billion to more than 13 million college hopefuls. To determine if you're eligible to receive this kind of help you'll need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Sounds simple, right? Yet, in 2011-2012, around $9.5 million in Federal Pell Grants and $2.9 billion in state and institutional grants was left on the table because students chose not to fill out the FAFSA, estimates Edvisors. What once used to be a major headache for college students and their families, the FAFSA has undergone some major changes for the 2017-18 school year that should help ease some of the pain. Here are five important things to know about the updates. RELATED: How 7 different assets affect financial aid eligibility You can now apply for federal aid three months earlier. Instead of having to wait until January to submit their FAFSA, students can apply for aid as early as October 1st. Some colleges have also moved up their financial aid application deadlines to correspond with the new FAFSA date. Students would be wise to get a head start on their applications, as financial aid is often given out on a first-come, first-serve basis so getting an early start can pay off. The CSS Profile application kickoff also moved up. The CSS Profile, which is required by around 300 private schools, in addition to the FAFSA, will also be available October 1st. This form varies by school, but in most cases it requires more information regarding a family's income and assets than the FASFA, and weighs these factors differently. Grandparents have greater flexibility. When a grandparent helps pay for college, even when the money is taken from a 529 plan, it's counted as student income on the FAFSA. A student's financial aid package can be reduced by as much as 50 percent of the income value reported. In previous years, grandparents who wanted to help pay for college would have to wait until their grandchild's junior year, after the last FAFSA was filed, to avoid having to report anything. With the new rules, however, you must report "prior-prior" year income on the FAFSA, so students applying for aid for the 2017-18 school year would enter income from 2015. This offers grandparents greater flexibility in using 529 accounts to help pay for their grandchildren's college, allowing them to provide financial support as early as the student's sophomore year, after the second-to-last FAFSA is filed, without impacting financial aid eligibility. You won't have to estimate when reporting income. Before the new rules, the FAFSA process began in January of the year the student would start college. As mentioned above, families had to report prior year income, which often had to be estimated since they hadn't filed their tax returns yet. Students heading to college in 2017, however, are required to report 2015 income. Filing is that much easier. Using the preceding example, since 2015 tax returns would have already been filed, the data can be automatically transferred to the FAFSA with the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. RELATED: Top 10 financial aid myths: What you don't know can cost you