Domestic & Foreign Policies Writing Assignment - Essay Example

Domestic and Foreign Policy Domestic and Foreign Policy Domestic Policy Summary: Safety Net Programs The Safety Net programs are good economic policies. The programs, which include Medicaid, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have been beneficial in the quest to exacerbate poverty and improve the health of Americans.1 They have fruitfully raised millions of families out of poverty, enhanced economic growth, and increased economic mobility. Sarah Ayres Steinberg mentions that better economic mobility reflects to educational opportunities for underprivileged families, whose children can now attend college.

Apart from the poor, safety net programs are also beneficial for middle-class families who at times experience a momentary period of financial hardship. Participation in Head Start has seen more children graduate from high school to college than in previous decades. Similarly, Medicare has helped significantly decline mortality rates across all races in America. Apart from the direct benefits, safety nets are an indirect form of smart investments in America’s economic growth because of the improved productivity and health.

Even so, there are critics that see safety net programs as largely useless and counterproductive. They see the safety net programs as a disincentive for people to work, and in consequence, confine them to poverty. They encourage complacency and reliance, and reduce labor force participation.2 Despite the arguments, there is no much evidence to suggest the reduction in the labor force and laziness among recipients. In case they do, it is in a limited scale that is not comparable to the overall benefits of the programs.

In the main, safety nets are beneficial because they develop the economy, support the middle class, and lessen inequality. Foreign Policy Summary: Worldwide Demonstrations against the Invasion of IraqThe invasion of Iraq was an unnecessary event that is similar to the redundant Vietnam War. The use of force in Iran is pointless and a waste of taxpayers’ money. The war on Iraq received condemnation both before and after the invasion. According to the United Nations Charter, the war is largely illegal.

It results in unnecessary instability in Iraq, the Middle East, and even among a section of the American populace who do not support the war. Several deaths of innocent citizens occur because of the actions of American soldiers and their presence in the region.3 Even so, international restrictions on biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs in Iraq are necessary for the sake of safety.4 Previous occurrences such as the nuclear attack on Japan were catastrophic, similar to the September 11 terror attacks.

The possession of weapons of mass destructions is dangerous, not just to Americans, but also to the global population. However, this does not justify the uninformed foreign policy making decisions seen in America. There are other ways to neutralize the effects of attackers, rather than retaliating through war. Anti-American sentiment resultant from the war may result in future attacks and retaliatory attacks from Al Qaeda, which may result in more fatalities. There are several economic and domestic security problems in America, and the financial requirements associated to the war means that there will be more pressure on the current problems.

From the perspective of realism, America saw it feasible to attack Iraq, rather than Iran or North Korea, who also have weapons of mass destruction. In the end, the justifiable reasons for the invasion of Iraq are few. BibliographyKim, Benjamin. Struggle for Democracy, The, 2012 Election Edition - Greenberg, Edward S. open House. 2015. Ozdemir, Ramazan. Invasion of Iraq: A Reflection of Realism. TJP Turkish Journal of Politics Vol. 2 No. 2, Winter 2011. Steinberg, Sarah. The Safety Net Is Good Economic Policy: What Rep.

Paul Ryan Gets Wrong About the War on Poverty. Center for American Progress. < https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/budget/report/2014/03/31/86693/the-safety-net-is-good-economic-policy/>