Social programs in the United States

This article is part of a series on the
Economy of the United States
Economic history Agricultural history Banking history Petroleum history Shipbuilding Industrial Revolution in the United States History of the United States dollar Lumber history Tariff History United States dollar § History History by state
Sectors Primary sector Agriculture Energy Petroleum Electricity Mining Fishing Forestry Water and sanitation Secondary sector Automotive Iron and steel Pulp and paper Tertiary sector Social programs Transportation Tourism Education Gambling Healthcare Insurance Financial services Central bank Banking Largest banks Stock exchanges Largest companies Companies listed on the NYSE
Economy by state California Texas New York Florida more... State statistics State budgets State credit ratings State unemployment rate Union membership
Economy by city or county Allentown Atlanta Buffalo Chicago Cleveland Columbus Detroit Door County Erie Houston Indianapolis Kansas City Lexington Long Island Louisville Memphis New York City Norfolk Omaha Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Salt Lake City San Diego Spokane St. Louis Stamford Youngstown Washington, D.C.
Labor Labor Law Child labor Labor unions Minimum wage Right-to-work law Employment Unemployment (Causes)
United States portal
v t e

The United States spends approximately $2.3 trillion on federal and state social programs include cash assistance, health insurance, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, and education and childcare assistance. Similar benefits are sometimes provided by the private sector either through policy mandates or on a voluntary basis. Employer-sponsored health insurance is an example of this.

American social programs vary in eligibility with some, such as public education, available to all while others, such as housing subsidies, are available only to a subsegment of the population. Programs are provided by various organizations on a federal, state, local, and private level. They help to provide basic needs such as food, shelter, education, and healthcare to residents of the U.S. through primary and secondary education, subsidies of higher education, unemployment and disability insurance, subsidies for eligible low-wage workers, subsidies for housing, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, pensions, and health insurance programs. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program are prominent social programs.

Research shows that U.S. government programs that focus on improving the health and educational outcomes of low-income children are the most effective, with benefits substantial enough that the government may even recoup its investment over time due to increased tax revenue from adults who were beneficiaries as children.^[2][3] Veto points in the U.S. structure of government make social programs in the United States resilient to fundamental change.^[4][5]