Role of Government in the Economy

"Why is it that if you take advantage of a tax break and you are a corporation you are a smart business man, but if you take advantage of something you need to not be hungry you're called a moocher?," a famous quote by Jon Stewart during a debate against Bill O' Reilly about the national deficit and safety-net programs. Through Republican ideas, the rich will get richer, and the poor will only get poorer. Today, Republicans argue that the government is playing too big of a role in the economy. There has been much debate over the government's role in the economy during economic downturns, but the economy will only prosper if the government plays a significant role trying to recover from a recession, or even a depression. Safety-net programs and social welfare helps families fight poverty during economic downturns. In 2011 "one is every six Americans, including children and seniors, does not have access to enough food to sustain a healthy life" (feedingamerica.org). In 2009, Unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in October 2009, the highest in 26 years (Goodman 2009). Also, during the Great Depression, an unemployment rate of 25% was managed by many New Deal programs like the Civil Works Administration (CWA), which was created in 1933 to battle unemployment by creating jobs in construction, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which was very similar to the CWA as it also created temporary jobs in construction for public work (americanhistory.about.com).These facts show how dependent on the government the people are, and also show how together, the government and the people can help this country to grow. The government provides millions of Americans with the necessities to survive, including food. "In 2011, 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.5 million adults and 16.7 million children" (feedingamerica.org). Hunger is not an issue just for the people who struggle with poverty and homelessness. Most individuals served have at least