Social safety net - Definition and Overview

The social safety net is a term used to describe a collection of services provided by the state (such as welfare, universal healthcare, homeless shelters, and perhaps various subsidized services such as transit), which prevent any individual from falling into poverty beyond a certain level.

A practical example of how the safety net works would be a single mother with several children, unable to work. By receiving money from the government to support her children, along with universal health care and free education, she can give her children a better chance at becoming successful members of society, rather than be caught up in the hopelessness of extreme poverty.

Comparisons of systems are endless, and among the most common are the ones between Canada and the United States, due to their close proximity. Supporters of a strong social safety net argue that these programs have resulted in a much lower crime rate and general lower poverty levels in Canadian cities, and this benefits everybody. Detractors argue that it is not these programs that are the cause of the lower crime in Canada, but a different culture or merely stricter gun laws.

See also:

• Welfare
• Social welfare
• Welfare state
• Social network

External sources

• North American city crime rates (http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/quality_of_life/safety.htm)