Covering such critically important laws as the Homestead Act of 1862, the Social Security Act of 1935, Medicare and Medicaid, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act, and many others, this resource is perfect for students looking for a thorough and understandable examination of the laws that created America's social insurance system.America is a welfare state. When 2/5 of Americans receive some type of financial assistance from the government, and federal spending on retirement pensions, health care, and income security programs approaches one trillion dollars per year, one can hardly argue otherwise. Faced with seemingly insurmountable cultural, political, and constitutional obstacles, how did a welfare state actually come to be constructed in America? The laws in this volume provide an answer.