Abstract
Poverty, Welfare and Public Policy brings together a selection of articles on US welfare policy and reform from the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management. The articles are chosen on the basis of their contribution to reflecting, informing and shaping the debate on welfare policy in the United States. The editors intend that these articles will ‘illustrate the collective learning process that has occurred’ (p. 2) in welfare policy analysis, with contributions covering a period from 1989 until the late 2000s. The book is arranged in four sections: ‘American Poverty’, which covers the measurement of poverty and demographics; ‘The Road to Welfare Reform’, leading up to the implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); ‘The Post-TANF world’, considering the impact of welfare reform; and ‘How Much does Research Matter?’, which looks at the relationship between academic research and policy making.
Reflecting the standard in American social science research, almost all of the articles utilise quantitative methodology. They represent an attempt to approach welfare policy in an objective fashion, grounded in statistical analysis of the effects of various welfare initiatives. However, it is noted that welfare reform as a research topic is ‘rife with normative and political controversies’ (p. 17). These are sometimes implied in the articles, such as those by Bane and Mead, which highlight a controversy regarding what constitutes a ‘success’ in welfare-to-work programmes. The focus on quantitative methods also offers some unexpected conclusions. For example, Garfinkel, Rainwater and Smeeding offer a reinterpretation of the data on income inequality in America, suggesting that when value derived from public services and indirect taxes is assessed alongside cash income, the US actually fares far better comparatively than when looking at income alone. The allusion to wider normative debates and suggestions regarding the methodological limitations of some current research give this volume relevance beyond its US-focused primary subject matter.
The volume is not intended as an introductory text, and would be most useful to those who already have a working knowledge of the basic structures and programmes of US welfare. It provides a wealth of data on a wide range of topics, which will enhance the knowledge and understanding of students, academics and researchers in this area. Owing to the final section on the relationship between research and policy making, it also provides a collection of useful resources for those hoping to learn how better to focus and communicate accurately their own research.