The Affluent and Government Help

To be affluent means to have a great deal of money. People that fall into this category are often referred to as the upper class. Some people in this group are known to be selfish and uncaring; however, as in every group, there are people that are compassionate toward others. “An affluent society that is also both compassionate and rational would ensure a decent standard of income for all its members. Such a policy would prevent parents from passing on poverty to their children.” (Galbraith). With this in mind, there are people in the American society that hold true to this definition of affluent, but there are also those that are selfish.

There are many signs to signify affluence, but the most prominent one is wealth. Often times this can cause a psychological disorder known as affluenza. This often occurs in young wealthy teenagers. They may display symptoms such as lack of motivation, feelings of guilt, and isolation. It can cause them to act irrationally and feel as though they are better than people of lower classes. This may cause the rift between the social classes to widen.

The government is always looking for ways to improve the lives of citizens. They have various programs to help people that are unemployed find new jobs and help them until they are able to provide for themselves and their family. This is known as the office of unemployment. In this program, they have various job search engines and people that can help you find something that may peak your interest. If someone and their family cannot survive without the paycheck that person was providing, there are programs in place that will allow that person collect a small paycheck until they can get back on their feet. However, there is more that the government could do to help those that are unemployed; they could provide jobs if there are no opportunities for routine workers. Many people have argued for both sides of this. Some people find in favor of this because it would allow people to work for the resources they need to live. However, others are concerned with how the government will provide wages. This conundrum has been a central argument of our government for many years, and there appears to be no end to the argument in sight.