Do Social Programs Be More Effective And Efficient?

Since the beginning of the Twentieth century we as a society have been conscious of the plight of those less fortunate, of the environment, and social injustices. Due to this conscious awareness, governments and individuals alike have set forth to improve these conditions that effect people and society through social programs and philanthropy. The question arises; can a government or charitable organizations successfully improve these conditions in society? Is there a solution that can be more effective and efficient? I will discuss disadvantages of both government and charitable programs, along with a solution, and in conclusion offer a personal perspective. Let’s begin with why a government cannot be the only solution to better society through programs. Governments lack the innovation, and they are limited in their fresh approach to problem solving. Another disadvantage is a failed program has a negative impact on a greater number of people, as well as these programs cannot modified easily if they are ineffective. We have seen this recently with the Affordable
When we give to charities it “appeases our consciences”, in other words we give because we see those in need to lessen our feelings of guilt. People will tend to freely give money to those less fortunate. Does this solve the problem? No. We tend to avoid the problem by just “funding” it without really ever finding a solution. There are other issues that arise from using charity, as being the solution to social problems, is that it “perpetuates poverty by taking the initiative away from the poor”. In other words, does charitable assistance have a lasting impact on those who receive it? There is no true measure to the social impact of charity, and systematic evaluation is always a subject of debate. It is difficult to study and evaluate, because it can prove to be costly and