What does promoting the general welfare mean?

Answer 1

Mentioned in the United States' Preamble to the Constitution, "Welfare" means health, happiness, prosperity or well-being.

The US Supreme Court has ruled that nothing in the preamble grants legislative power.

"Welfare" should not be read in isolation, but as a part of the whole preamble - the idea of the preamble is simply that the founders of our nation think that the proposed system of governance would naturally result in the items listed in the preamble. Be very cautious to not confuse result and causation.

"General welfare" is one of the ostensible results of our system of governance.

Turning the tables around and saying that "general welfare" is a legislative goal is entirely corrupt and against what the founders were saying.

The founders defined "welfare" as a result - a natural consequence. Those who would incorrectly have you believe that it is a legislative objective try to rewrite history by making a consequential result into an active cause.

Perhaps the previous would be true if the "general welfare" were only mentioned in the preamble. Thankfully it is included in the text where "general welfare" is surely a legislative goal (as is the whole preamble--the articles and amendments merely spell out the HOW we get what the preamble guarantees) "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States"

That surely points out that congress shall tax and spend on "health, happiness, prosperity or well-being".

Answer 2

This expression in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, most definitely does NOT mean "provide public assistance" as the statement above suggests. "Welfare" did not have such a meaning yet! What WE call "welfare programs" were at that time called "poor relief". Until the 20th century such relief was largely the work of churches, private charities & local (and sometimes state) governments, NOT the federal government. So 'welfare programs' at the federal level would not even have been imagined by the founders.

"Welfare" referred to "well-being", and promoting the GENERAL welfare was a broad term in use at the time (we find in the Articles of Confederation & various other earlier colonial documents) to refer to the 'public good', or the well-being of ALL, as opposed to looking out for just the good of specific states, locales or classes of people.

Answer 3

This expression in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, most definitely does NOT mean "provide public assistance" as the statement above suggests. "Welfare" did not have such a meaning yet! What WE call "welfare programs" were at that time called "poor relief". Until the 20th century such relief was largely the work of churches, private charities & local (and sometimes state) governments, NOT the federal government. So 'welfare programs' at the federal level would not even have been imagined by the founders.

"Welfare" referred to "well-being", and promoting the GENERAL welfare was a broad term in use at the time (we find in the Articles of Confederation & various other earlier colonial documents) to refer to the 'public good', or the well-being of ALL, as opposed to looking out for just the good of specific states, locales or classes of people.

Answer 4

It refers to actions that will positively affect the health and well being of the general public.

Answer 5

It means to answer the needs of the people for the common good.

Answer 6

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