POSC 459 — Social Welfare Politics and Policy · Week 6, Wednesday 30 September 2026
Accessible text version of the Week 6 Wednesday slides — same content in linear order, with no slide-scaling container. No class meeting: an at-home exercise, due Wednesday 11:59 p.m.
POSC 459 — Social Welfare Politics and Policy Week 6 · Wednesday, September 30
No class meeting. Click through these slides and do the exercise. Due tonight, 11:59 p.m.
| What | Run one hypothetical household through two benefit screeners |
| Time | About 45 minutes |
| Turn in | 2 screenshots + 150–250 words |
| Points | 10 (attendance and participation) |
| Due | Tonight, 11:59 p.m., on Canvas |
| EITC | CalFresh (SNAP) | |
|---|---|---|
| What | Tax credit, paid as a refund | Money for food, on an EBT card |
| For | Low- and moderate-income workers | Low-income households |
| Run by | IRS | USDA, through the counties |
| Reaches | 19% of Americans | 14% of Americans |
Shares: Desmond, p. 93. CalFresh is California’s name for SNAP.
| Your last name | Your household |
|---|---|
| A–H | A: single parent, two children |
| I–R | B: married couple, one child |
| S–Z | C: full-time CSUF student |
Use the household, not yourself.
| Who | Single parent, 31. Children ages 4 and 9 |
| Work | 30 hours a week at $17.50 |
| Income | $27,300 a year = $2,275 a month |
| Home | Anaheim. Rent $1,800, utilities included |
| Taxes | Head of household. Kids lived at home all year |
| Also | U.S. citizens with Social Security numbers. No other income, savings, or child care costs |
| Who | Married couple, 34 and 32. One child, age 6 |
| Work | One parent works. The other stays home |
| Income | $40,000 a year = $3,333 a month |
| Home | Fullerton. Rent $2,200, utilities included |
| Taxes | Married filing jointly. Child lived at home all year |
| Also | U.S. citizens with Social Security numbers. No other income, savings, or child care costs |
| Who | Age 21, no children. Full-time CSUF student (12 units) |
| Work | 12 hours a week at $16.90 |
| Income | 2025 wages: $10,296. Now: $879 a month |
| Home | Fullerton apartment. Rent share $900, utilities included. Buys food separately from roommates |
| Taxes | Files as single. Parents do not claim them |
| Also | U.S. citizen with a Social Security number. No Cal Grant, work-study, or EOP |
A site asks for personal information? Stop. Screenshot that page and use it.
About 10 minutes. No login, no personal information.
benefitscal.com → Ask Robin → See if I qualify
About 5 minutes. Robin says whether you may qualify, not how much.
Name one reading if it fits (Howard, Campbell, or Desmond, with a page).
Week 6 module → “Run a Household Through the Safety Net”
Upload as one file or several. Due tonight, 11:59 p.m.
| 10 points | Both screenshots + 150–250 words that answer the questions |
| Site broken? | Screenshot the error and write anyway. Full credit |
| AI | Green: allowed, no disclosure needed |
Questions: email me. No office hour Thursday.
Fri 10/2: Paper 2 due, 11:59 p.m.
Mon 10/5: we put households A, B, and C side by side
Same programs. Three very different answers.