American Social Welfare Policy: A Pluralist Approach

Cover......Page 1
Title page......Page 2
Copyright page......Page 3
Preface......Page 4
About the Authors......Page 6
Brief Contents......Page 8
Contents......Page 10
Chapter 1: Social Policy and the American Welfare State......Page 16
Social Problems and Social Welfare Policy......Page 19
Values, Ideology, and Social Welfare Policy......Page 20
The Political Economy of American Social Welfare......Page 21
Keynesian Economics......Page 22
Conservative or Free Market Economics......Page 23
Democratic Socialism......Page 26
The U.S. Political Continuum......Page 27
Liberalism and Left-of-Center Movements......Page 28
Classical Conservatives and the Far Right......Page 30
The Welfare Philosophers and the Neoconservative Think Tanks......Page 32
Conclusion......Page 33
Notes......Page 37
Chapter 2: A Brief History of the American Social Welfare Stat......Page 40
Judeo-Christian Doctrine and Social Welfare......Page 41
The English Poor Laws......Page 42
The Poor in Colonial America......Page 43
Industrialization and the Voluntary Sector......Page 44
Religion and Social Welfare......Page 46
Charity Organization Societies......Page 47
Settlement Houses......Page 48
African American Associations......Page 50
The Social Casework Agency......Page 51
The Great Depression and the Modern Welfare State......Page 52
The Post-World War II Welfare State......Page 54
The Languishing Social Welfare State......Page 56
Conclusion......Page 58
Discussion Questions......Page 59
Notes......Page 60
Chapter 3: Social Welfare Policy Research......Page 62
A Proposed Model for Policy Analysis......Page 65
Historical Background of the Policy......Page 66
Policy Analysis......Page 67
Researching and Analyzing a Social Policy Assignment......Page 69
Social Policy Research and the Internet......Page 70
Notes......Page 71
Chapter 4: Discrimination in American Society......Page 74
Discrimination......Page 75
The Minority Middle Class......Page 76
The “Diswelfare” of African Americans......Page 78
Hispanic Americans......Page 81
American Indians......Page 82
Asian Americans......Page 83
Immigrants and Immigration......Page 84
Immigration-Based Discrimination in Europe......Page 86
The Feminization of Poverty......Page 88
Myths around Women and Work......Page 90
Day Care: A Barrier to Female Employment......Page 91
Other Obstacles Faced by Working Women......Page 93
Abortion and Women’s Rights......Page 94
Gender Discrimination and Violence in an International Context......Page 95
Gays and Lesbians: Two Populations at Risk......Page 97
Gays and Lesbians in the Military......Page 99
Gay and Lesbian Family Life......Page 100
AIDS and the Gay Community......Page 101
Elderly Poverty and Social Programs......Page 102
People with Disabilities......Page 103
Affirmative Action......Page 106
Conclusion......Page 107
Notes......Page 108
Chapter 5: Poverty in America......Page 116
Culture of Poverty......Page 117
The Progressive Understanding of Poverty......Page 118
Who Makes Up the Poor?......Page 119
Measuring Poverty......Page 121
Child Support Enforcement......Page 124
The Rural Poor......Page 125
Why Are There Working Poor?......Page 126
Underemployment and Unemployment......Page 127
Dual Labor Markets......Page 128
Wages and Poverty......Page 129
Three Approaches to Combat Poverty......Page 131
America’s Fringe Economy......Page 133
Credit and the Poor......Page 134
Transportation in the Fringe Economy......Page 137
World Poverty......Page 138
Conclusion......Page 140
Notes......Page 141
Chapter 6: The Voluntary Sector Today......Page 146
Traditional Providers......Page 147
The Independent Sector......Page 148
Advancing Social Justice......Page 150
Elite Philanthropy......Page 151
Commercialization......Page 153
Faith-Based Social Services......Page 154
Social Entrepreneurship......Page 155
Conclusion......Page 156
Notes......Page 157
Chapter 7: Privatization and Human Service Corporations......Page 160
Privatization Issues......Page 162
Preferential Selection......Page 163
Cost-Effectiveness......Page 164
The Challenge of Privatization......Page 165
Unions and the Private Sector......Page 166
Social Contributions of Business......Page 168
Corporate Influence on Social Welfare Policy......Page 169
Human Service Corporations......Page 170
Health Maintenance Organizations......Page 172
Public Welfare......Page 174
Private Practice......Page 175
Conclusion......Page 177
Notes......Page 178
Chapter 8: The Making of Governmental Policy......Page 182
Technical Aspects of the Policy Process......Page 183
A Critical Analysis of the Policy Process......Page 185
Social Stratification......Page 186
Formulation......Page 187
Legislation......Page 188
The Fiscal Cliff and Sequestration......Page 192
Evaluation......Page 193
Marginalization......Page 194
Social Work and Advocacy Organizations......Page 196
Advocacy Organizations and the New Policy Institutes......Page 197
Political Practice......Page 198
Conclusion......Page 199
Notes......Page 200
Chapter 9: Tax Policy and Income Distribution......Page 202
History of U.S. Tax Policy......Page 203
Federal Taxes......Page 204
Taxes, Spending, and the Debt......Page 205
Tax Policy and Special Interests......Page 207
Income Distribution......Page 208
State Tax Policy and the Poor......Page 209
The Efficiency of Tax Policy in Reducing Poverty......Page 210
Tax Expenditures as AntiPoverty Policy......Page 211
The Anti-Tax Movement......Page 212
The Debate over Economic Inequality......Page 213
Discussion Questions......Page 216
Notes......Page 217
Chapter 10: Social Insurance Programs......Page 220
Definition of Social Insurance......Page 221
The Financial Organization of Social Insurance......Page 222
OASDI......Page 223
Unemployment Compensation......Page 225
The Social Security Dilemma......Page 227
Arguments for the Current Social Security System......Page 228
The Long-Term Prospects for Social Security......Page 229
Lingering Problems in the Social Security System......Page 231
Privatizing Social Security......Page 232
Canada’s Retirement Income System......Page 233
Retirement in the United Kingdom......Page 234
Germany’s Social Security System......Page 235
The Australian Retirement System......Page 236
Notes......Page 237
Chapter 11: Public Assistance Programs......Page 242
Assumptions and Myths about Public Assistance......Page 243
Aid to Families with Dependent Children......Page 246
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996......Page 247
Has the PRWORA Worked?......Page 250
Teenage Pregnancy......Page 251
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)......Page 252
Problems in SSI......Page 253
The Transformation of Welfare Policy into Labor Policy......Page 254
Welfare Behaviorism......Page 256
Conclusion......Page 257
Notes......Page 258
Chapter 12: The American Health Care System......Page 262
The Organization of Medical Services......Page 263
Medicare......Page 265
Medicaid......Page 269
Overview of U.S. Health Care Expenditures......Page 271
Explaining the High Cost of U.S. Health Care......Page 273
Physicians’ Salaries......Page 274
The Pharmaceutical Industry......Page 275
Managed Care......Page 276
Gun Violence and Health Care Policy......Page 278
The Debate around Gun Control......Page 279
U.S. Health Care in International Perspective......Page 281
Comparative Analysis: Health Care in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia......Page 282
National Health Insurance......Page 286
Incremental Reform......Page 287
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148)......Page 288
Conclusion......Page 289
Notes......Page 290
Chapter 13: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Policy......Page 296
Mental Health Reform......Page 297
Deinstitutionalization......Page 298
The Advent of Psychotropic Medication......Page 300
The Psychopharmacological Scandal......Page 301
Children’s Mental Health......Page 303
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Funding......Page 304
Parity for Mental Health Care......Page 305
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder......Page 306
Alcohol Abuse......Page 307
Drug Abuse......Page 308
Discussion Questions......Page 309
Notes......Page 310
Chapter 14: Criminal Justice......Page 314
History of U.S. Criminal Justice......Page 315
The Criminal Justice System......Page 316
Juvenile Justice......Page 318
The New Jim Crow......Page 321
The War on Drugs......Page 323
The Underclass and “Moral Poverty”......Page 324
The Prison Industrial Complex......Page 325
Legalization of Drugs......Page 327
Conclusion......Page 328
Notes......Page 329
Chapter 15: Child Welfare Policy......Page 332
History of U.S. Child Welfare Policy......Page 333
Protective Services for Children......Page 335
Foster Care for Children......Page 338
Adoption......Page 340
Emerging Issues in Child Welfare......Page 341
Teen Pregnancy......Page 342
Conclusion......Page 343
Notes......Page 344
Chapter 16: Housing Policies......Page 348
Overview of Housing Legislation......Page 349
The Federal Government and Low-Income Housing Programs......Page 351
Trends in U.S. Housing......Page 355
Homeownership and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis......Page 356
The Downside of Homeownership......Page 357
Problems in Finding Affordable Rental Housing......Page 358
Gentrification......Page 359
Other Factors Affecting Housing......Page 360
Characteristics of the Homeless Population......Page 361
Trends in Homelessness......Page 363
Attempts to Address Homelessness......Page 364
Housing Reform......Page 365
Comparison of U.S. and European Housing......Page 366
Conclusion......Page 367
Notes......Page 368
Chapter 17: The Politics of Food Policy and Rural Life......Page 374
The Contradictions of American Food Policy......Page 375
Hunger in the United States......Page 376
SNAP (Formerly Called Food Stamps): A Description of the Program......Page 377
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)......Page 379
Other Food Programs......Page 381
Have the Food Programs Worked?......Page 382
Governmental Farm Policies......Page 385
Biofuels, Fracking, and Farming......Page 386
The Face of U.S. Farming......Page 387
Farmworkers......Page 389
Issues in American Farming......Page 391
Genetic Engineering......Page 392
Food Safety......Page 393
Climate Change......Page 394
Discussion Questions......Page 397
Notes......Page 398
Chapter 18: The American Welfare State in International Perspective......Page 404
Typologies of Welfare States......Page 405
American Exceptionalism......Page 406
The Welfare State in Transition......Page 408
Ranking National Development......Page 409
The Fourth World......Page 410
Capability Poverty......Page 412
Global Capital......Page 414
The Future......Page 416
Conclusion......Page 417
Notes......Page 418
Glossary......Page 422
A......Page 430
C......Page 431
E......Page 433
F......Page 434
G......Page 435
H......Page 436
J......Page 437
M......Page 438
N......Page 439
P......Page 440
S......Page 442
U......Page 444
Z......Page 445