Welfare models from around the world. From Why the Government Fails at Welfare:
Policy think tanks across the country have analyzed the finding of Maine’s experiment and have called on their state governments to follow suit. Some even heralded the program as a model for the nation. The problem facing many action oriented states come from restrictions put in place by the federal system. While the Republican lead welfare reform of the 90s did a great deal to push welfare to the state level, it also left a great deal to be desired.
To function as independent bodies, as the federal system intends, and better serve their most vulnerable citizens’ states ought to have greater freedom to experiment with welfare reforms. Congress could act to give states a greater say in how welfare is implemented within their borders if reform is to be both helpful to those in need and sustainable.
It's an optimistic article. However, there are really no solutions. Modern societies will always have populations who will not or can not function very well. As far as the guaranteed government income idea goes, forget it. People too low-functioning to hold a job probably could not handle money well. The only thing that saddens me about American state and federal welfare programs are the numbers of potentially-functional people who settle for life on the dole and/or the underground economy instead of a life of dignity and self-reliance.
