Explain pros and cons for the following debating topics

1) Our current measures of poverty are accurate in detecting who is at risk and who needs help.

Pro: How does the United States currently measure poverty? Why does this measure continue to do a good job in capturing the population in need?

Against: How do our current measures of poverty fail? Where/how could they be improved?

2) The ACDC and TANF programs are effective tools and should be continued/expanded

Pro: Explain what these programs do, and how the benefit reduction rate (BRR) works. How can these programs be implemented to be most effective?

Against: Explain how these programs can discourage labor participation. Explain how these programs can be improved.

3) The Earned Income Tax Credit has been a wild success .

Pro: Explain how this program works, and how it balances poverty reduction with work incentives.

Against: Explain who this program does not help, and those who are particularly hit with negative worker incentives. How would you improve the program?

4) In-Kind Benefit Programs such as Medicaid and SNAP have also effectively reduced poverty

Pro: Explain the value of such programs - what they do, who they help.

Against: Explain the negative work-incentive effects from such linked-benefits programs.

5) Child Support Payments provides an important weapon to combat poverty

Pro: Explain how this program targets those truly in need, and produces positive worker incentives.

Against: Explain how this program fails to adequately target those in need, and produces negative worker incentives.

6) Welfare Reforms Pro: Explain some of the welfare reforms implemented in the 1990s, and how effective they were in reducing poverty and promoting work incentives. Against: Explain the inadequacy of recent reforms. How would you reform the current welfare system.