e-journal

Devolution and Welfare Reform: Re-evaluating "success"

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The passage of welfare reform shifted significant authority for welfare provision from the federal govemment to state and local govemments. Proponents of devoludon point to drastic caseload declines as evidence that state-run programs are decreasing dependency among families. However, welfare roUs in many states have remained stagnant or decreased since the start of the recession in late 2007. The uneven responsiveness of the welfare system to growing economic needs prompts the question of whether the safety net is functioning as intended. This article evaluates the literature on the state and local implementation of welfare to assess whether devolution has yielded the positive outcomes promised by proponents. Findings suggest that, under welfare reform, state and local govemments are enacting diverse programs and do not appear to be limiting welfare provision in new ivays to avoid becoming "welfare magnets." However, the type of program they adopt is systemadcaUy related to the racial and ethnic composition of the caseloads and the local political climate, leading to a fragmentary system in which some states and localides are more responsive than others. Social workers can help poor famuies in critical need of assistance by voicing these concems at the local, state, and nadonal levels.

KEY WORDS; advocacy; devolution; recession; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; welfare reform

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Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

Social Work Volume 57

No. Panggil

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Penerbit

: National Association of Social Workers., 2012

Deskripsi Fisik

Social Work Volume 57, Number 4 October 2012

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

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Klasifikasi

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Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

KESEJAHTERAAN SOSIAL

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

Nurasmi

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