1.  A new case study says unpredictable, inflexible work schedules shrink the paychecks of female workers, mostly because they have greater caregiving duties. Smarter scheduling would help. (Bolotnyy, Emanuel, 2023) Gender wage gaps can arise for many reasons, and it’s important to try separating out their underlying causes. These causes dictate whether policy action is warranted to address these gaps. For example, gaps due to women’s personal choices to work less after school hardly merit a policy response, though a response is warranted if men are getting paid more than women for the same after-school work. This section reviews prior research on the varied factors behind wage gaps, with a focus on where discrimination is likely to occur among teachers. (Dai, Carmona, 2023) I believe analysis comes from a rational perspective and political perspective. They go hand and in figuring how the policies should be made and what they consist of. I agree with changes being made to the gap pay in female teachers. One’s gender from birth should not decide if someone makes more. One’s work ethics should decide who deserves more pay. 

2.  The article I chose was “Monetary policy and racial inequality.” In the Analysis, the authors found that monetary policy would increase employment and income in black households while increasing wealth like stocks and real estate in white families more than in black homes. The monetary policy would widen the average wealth gap between black and white families.

“Social policy is the investigation and inquiry into the causes and consequences of public policies.”(Segal, 2020) The authors did the appropriate research and analysis to see how this policy would backfire. The policy has good intentions. However, White Americans have generations of wealth over Black Americans, whose ancestors were not freed until 1865. This policy is from a rational perspective. The research shows why the policy isn’t practical. Facts and not feelings drive it.

Although there will be a gap in wealth between White Americans and Black Americans, This policy will help black families’ unemployment rates and incomes. White families already have the edge over black families. If black families could have more money and education on stocks, the families would be able to invest in stocks and real estate.

If families made more money, would the world get more expensive? Would families currently live within their means no longer live within their means?

Bartscher, A. K., Kuhn, M., Schularick, M., & Wachtel, P. (2022, December 12). Monetary policy and racial inequality. Brookings. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.brookings.edu/bpea-articles/monetary-policy-and-racial-inequality/

Segal, Elizabeth A. Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective. 4th ed., Cengage Learning, 2020, pp. 4–1.