For this free writing assignment, I chose to write about and focus on how politics influence policies made. In today’s society I think that politics influence a lot of things that they shouldn’t, but it is just how the world seems to function. When it comes to making policies regarding social work, mental health, homelessness, or anything related, it should have nothing to do with politics, but rather the best interest of the people. The world is in the biggest and worst mental health crisis that it ever has been, but instead of focusing on that, we focus on whether or not it fits into a left or right leaning stance. Personally, I find that ridiculous because it should be about these people who are struggling with their mental health each and every day. Some of these people cannot get out of bed in the morning, cannot feed their kids, cannot get a job, or maybe can’t even get a roof over their head, but instead we focus on who is “right.” When neither is right. The only right is fixing the problem these people face. Bringing politics into the mix completely throws the human right purpose out the window because it brings in nothing but selfishness. If we left politics out of making policies, I believe that the world would be a better place. We could solve issues much easier and without so much hate and discrimination. Homeless people would not be homeless, mentally ill people would have the help they need, and the social workers would make the money they deserve to make without working well beyond their hours.
This is a persistent problem. According to some perspectives, conservative voices ought to be offering cautious perspectives, eager to find the way of accomplishing social welfare and domestic tranquility with minimal regulation, most efficient (requiring the lowest possible taxes and spending) policies and services that remain effective, and respect for historical precedent and experience. Along this line, the liberal voices ought to be more interested in innovative or transformative perspectives, seeking similar effective policies with similar goals, but more willing to tolerate regulation, and more willing to redistribute resources through more generous public spending. In essence, conservatives would prefer a society where the welfare system and all the other things the government does would take up about 25% to 35% of the economy, while liberals would prefer about 35% to 45% of the economy to be in the public realm, and radicals would perhaps prefer 45% to 55% of personal income to end up in public projects and the welfare system. If people saw things this way, would they really hate someone for thinking the governments at various level needed to control 40% of the economy when they personally preferred a figure of 30%? But instead, tribal cliques form and partisan loyalties and power-seeking block good policies. Since all social policies and government programs are vast and complex, and will always contain errors, gaps, and imperfections, the tribes of political parties seek out only those flaws when the policies or services are recommended by the other tribe, and deny or hide all the flaws when the policies or services “belong” to their own tribe.
If a good policy is recommended, and it would be efficient, highly effective, fair, and provide huge improvements compared to the costs associated with it, we professionals would hope that all politicians would take it seriously and support the policy if no better (more effective or more efficient) policy was available or feasible. Instead, we see that when a policy is supported by Democratic Part members, many Republicans will be biased against it, and if Republicans like a policy, Democrats will probably reject it. Many Democrats will insist on superior policies according to their ideology, even when there is no feasible way those policies can be enacted, given political realities, and they will fight against half-way measures; and we see the same thing among many Republicans, who demand policies or actions that have no chance of passage, and will reject any compromises.
The key to policy practice for social workers is to try to frame issues in a way that will appeal in a non-partisan way to any politicians who care about solving problems and putting forth some effort to enact laws that will improve a situation. There are members of both parties who do care, and will listen, and will try to work to get good legislation passed. There are also members of both parties who don’t really care much, who will be willfully ignorant, and who care mainly about their power or their appearance, and not so much about what they actually do.
No comments:
Post a Comment