Over many years, America has experienced changes in a variety of ways that have impacted people and their way of life. Traditionally, a person works to earn money which, in turn, will provide for the basic needs of their family, without a reliable source of income; this makes it virtually impossible to make ends meet. Before government assistance (what we call welfare) was available to help families in need, people were forced to go without it, which inevitably affected their health. Over time, as leaders and circumstances changed, government programs were established to help the public meet their basic needs. Since their conception, welfare programs have undergone several changes to meet the needs of needy families without spending a lot of taxpayer money. The following essay will highlight a controversial suggestion for welfare reform: drug testing for welfare recipients. It will also present favorable and opposing views on the subject. Welfare consists of various government-funded programs that benefit families who lack the resources to meet basic needs. necessities due to lack of employment or poor employment. The very first cases of welfare of this type were introduced in the mid-1900s, around the time of the Great Depression, and before that time, Theodore Roosevelt, in his speech on the new nationalism, introduced Americans to the concept to shoulder the burden of seeing the nation does good for the good of humanity (Prestritto and Atto, 2008), meaning that for a nation to succeed, the people must also succeed. And part of that success is that we reach out to help a neighbor in their time of need. Roosevelt's words would soon be put to the test in the era of the Great Depression, when every family...... middle of paper ......589.2. Lyle, L. (2012). Florida Legislation Requiring Suspicion-Free Drug Testing for TANF Recipients: The Constitutionality and Effectiveness of Implementing Social Population Drug Testing Requirements. Tennessee Journal Of Law & Policy, 868-85. Welfare drug testing catches only 12 users in Utah3. The Huffington Post By Arthur Delaney Published: 08/27/2013 Updated: 08/28/2013 Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/27/welfare-drug-testing_n_3822750.htmlSource Quote ( MLA 7th edition ) Kondro, Wayne. “Drug Testing for Wellness.” CMAJ: Journal of the Canadian Medical Association, August 9, 2011: E721. Academic health reference center. Internet. March 31 2014.264173915