Us welfare

• total social welfare expenditure constitutes roughly 35% of GDP, with purely public expenditure constituting 21%, publicly supported but privately provided welfare services constituting 10% of GDP, purely privately services constituting 4% of GDP.

Its main components are mandatory and universal primary and secondary education, somewhat subsidized

• tertiary education (трехступенчатая), unemployment and disability insurance, income subsidies for low wage workers, housing subsidies, food stamps, guaranteed public pensions, public health insurance programs

The Social Security system is the most prominent part of the American welfare state, and remains the largest government program in the United States and the world.

The American welfare state is distinguished from other welfare states in the developed world through its extensive reliance on the private sector. MINUSES - burdens American businesses and makes them less competitive PLUSES - it lowers the amount of government intervention in the economy.

While all Americans are enrolled in the Social Security system, have access to public Medicare health insurance once they reach the age of 65, 20% receive health coverage through Medicaid and about 25% receive wage subsidies through the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), most welfare state programs usually do not serve more than 5% -10% of the public

American welfare is successful in reducing poverty, inequality and mortality considerably. Public pensions, for instance, are estimated to keep 40% of American seniors above the poverty line.

The U.S. Health Care System: Some people argue that Americans have the "best health care system in the world", pointing to the freely available medical technology and state-of-the-art facilities that have become so highly symbolic of the system. Others berate the American system as being fragmented and inefficient.

Public Health Insurance

Medicare is a federal program that covers individuals aged 65 and over, as well as some disabled individuals. Medicare is a program administered by the government. Covers hospital services, physician services, and drug benefit.

Medicaid is a program designed for the low-income and disabled. By federal law, states must cover very poor pregnant women, children, elderly, disabled, and parents. Childless adults are not covered, and many poor individuals make too much to qualify for Medicaid. States have the option of expanding eligibility for Medicaid if they choose. Medicaid offers a fairly comprehensive set of benefits, including prescription drugs. Despite this, many enrollees have difficulty finding providers that accept Medicaid due to its low reimbursement rate.

Other public systems

S-CHIP: The State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) designed in 1997 to cover children whose families make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but make too little to purchase private health insurance. VA: The Veteran'sAdministration - federally administered program for veteran. The VA is funded by taxpayer dollars and generally offers extremely affordable (if not free) care to veterans.

Private Health Insurance

• Employer-sponsored insurance - main way in which Americans receive health insurance. Employer-sponsored insurance is financed both through employers (who usually pay the majority of the premium) and employees (who pay the remainder of the premium).

• Private non-group (individual market)

Билет 13. Education in the USA.

SCHOOLING. Public schools - money for public schools is given by each state, so education is free.

Private schools. – (popular) the cost of education varies and not each family can afford it.

Education in the U.S.A. is compulsory for children from 6 to 16-18, depending on the state.

**8-year elementary school, followed by a 4-year high school. This has been called 8-4 plan organization. (It is proceeded by nursery schools and kindergartens). Followed by a 4-year college and professional schools.

**The 6-3-3 plan consists of a 6-year elementary school, a 3-year junior high school, and a 3-year senior high school.

***6-6 plan organization.

Pre-schooling is optional. (Network of nursery schools and day-care centers where children are looked after while their parents are at work)

Elementary schools give the basic knowledge about the world around us and people who live in it. Count, read and write, to draw, sing and dance. (Pupils)

Secondary schools are usually named high schools.(students) Marks A, B, C, D. A - for excellent work, D - for poor work. Study a wide range of subjects which cover exact, natural sciences and humanities.

Most schools start at around 8 o'clock every morning and classes often do not finish until 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon, but many students rarely return home until the early evening, being engaged in various extracurricular activities.

Most schools publish their own student newspapers; radio stations, orchestras, bands, choirs. Theatre and drama groups, chess and debating clubs, foreign languages clubs, groups which meet after school to discuss computers, or chemistry. Students can learn flying, diving and mountain-climbing. Can act as volunteers in hospitals and homes for the aged and do other public-service work. Sports are available - swimming pools, tennis-courts, tracks and stadiums

HIGHER EDUCATION in the U.S.A. After high school young people either start working or continue in higher education. universities, colleges, technical schools, vocational schools.

Most prestigious - Harvard, Prinston, Yale or Columbia Universities.

A university has several different colleges in it. Each has a special subject area

- college of liberal arts where humanities, social sciences, natural sciences

- mathematics are taught to provide general knowledge and to develop the mind.

A program for undergraduates usually takes 4 years. University students get an undergraduate degree in the arts or science. Get Bachelor of Arts or Science degree. – Then may leave the university or go on for professional degree.

The technical or vocational school has only job training. - No academic program. From 6 months to 2 years and more. Tuition fees can be rather high (ranging from $20,000 for an academic year at Harvard, Yale or Columbia to under $1,000 at small public institutions) therefore many students hold jobs besides studying. These part-time jobs may be either "on campus" (in the café and tutoring jobs) or "off campus" (with local firms and businesses, in offices, etc.).

Билет 14. American character

1) One of the most important values and beliefs = toughness which comes from his sense of individual freedom - the pioneers who lived on the frontier had a hard life, so they had to be tough and self-reliant.