USA - gov responses to socio-economic inequality

Question 1

affordable healthcare act
(obamacare)
PEE

Answer 1

• introduced in 2010, Obamacare acted as a solution for those that are self employed or make too much money to be eligible medicaid
• as of 2023 34mill people have signed up to ACA
  (affordable care act)
• the US dept of health found in 2022 that ACA has led to advances in health equality for all groups in US
• specific focus on improvement for elders, disabilities, ethnic minorities and LGBT community
  EG > the % of black individuals in 2010 not receiving healthcare insurance was 20.2%, in 2019 was 9.6%

Question 2

limits of ACA
REE

Answer 2

• many Americans belove that healthcare should not be an issue the gov intervenes with
• republican party ideology
• DT tried several times to change and remove ACA from US law
• one of most significant changes was removing the penalty for not having health insurance
• during his primary campaign in 2024 , DT said he would look to repeal ACA
  EG > during his very first day as president in Jan 17’ DT signed an executive order that instructed officials to ‘waive,defer & delay’ implementing parts of ACA while he prepared congress to repeal the bill

Question 3

every student succeeds act
(ESSA)
PEE

Answer 3

• ESSA signed into law by Obama in 2015
• provides federal grants to state educational agencies
• improve the quality of elementary and secondary education
• requires States to identify struggling schools
• shifts focus of education from federal to state level
• States given greater responsibility to identify potential barriers to learning
  EG > Maryland identified school climate as a quality indicator. a survey is now sent out to pupils and staff in schools to help policy makers understand relationships,overall community, safety and environment
  ^ think Mr R-O-S-E

Question 4

ESSA
REE

Answer 4

• as each state has individual control, effectiveness varies across states
• inconsistent outcomes for students
• funding is already unequal
• further caused gaps between students in the richest and poorest areas of the country
  EG > South Carolina passed a law in 2020 that asked for a waiver for ESSA required assessments and reporting requirements through 2021

Question 5

Obama’s policing task force
PEE

Answer 5

• the task force on 21st century policing was passed by executive order by President Obama in 2014 following riots in Missouri after police killed a black man, micheal brown
• looks to identify the ways in which police can mend relationships within the communities
• one year after the findings of the task force was published there were several changes
• alongside over $160mill of federal spending relating to task force related projects
  EG > Illinois legislation was passed that expanded the use of body cameras for officers and independent and external investigations of deadly force

Question 6

limits to the police task force
REE

Answer 6

• members of the task force and Obama himself commented on the slow rate at which it’s recommendations have been adopted
• no States are under obligation to make the changes
• rates of police brutality have continued to rise
  record number in 2022 seeing atleats 1176 people killed by police
• BLM movement helped out highlight this issue
  EG > officer who killed Breonna Taylor was later hired by a sheriff’s office in kentucky