Project Proposal

Elisabeth Peters: Project Proposal- The Welfare System

1.     My goal in this project is to delve into the welfare system and to look specifically at what has been done to it over time (its history) and what the democrats and republicans have to say about it (particularly Obama and Romney). I hope to be able to inform voters and citizens of America what our current policy is and what I think can be done to fix it.

2.     My target audience is primarily young adults who want social reform to, as cliché as it sounds, make the world a better place. However, I feel like there are a lot of mixed feelings on the welfare system, and I want to clear up what it actually is and what its effects are so that all of Americans can have a full understanding of it before they pass judgment. I will therefore need to do a lot of research but synthesize it in a way that is easy to understand but also holistic. I will also find some personal stories of people who have been on welfare and how it has helped them, for emotional appeal.

3.     I plan on making a video. I think I will have a voiceover of me talking about the welfare system with pictures and maybe video clips of the system in action.

4.     I will distribute it on YouTube.

5.     I think if it’s successful, it could at the very least inform people about our current system. Hopefully, though, it will do more than that. I’m hoping to humanize those who are on welfare and let their stories be told. I want people to understand that they are Americans too and they need help- in one way or another. If I find significant flaws within the current system, I will hopefully be able to do some research and offer some suggestions on how it can be improved as well. I can measure the effects of it spreading general knowledge about the welfare system based on the number of viewers of the video. But measuring if/how it improves the welfare system will really only be able to be demonstrated through political policy change.