American Social Welfare Policy

Howard Karger is professor, Hawai'i Pacific University, School of Social Work. David Stoesz is professor, Flinders University/Carnegie Mellon University--Australia. Howard and David have been friends and colleagues for more than three decades. In addition to eight editions of American Social Welfare Policy, they have coauthored three other books: The Politics of Child Abuse in America (with Lela Costin) (Oxford University Press, 1996); Reconstructing the American Welfare State (Rowman and Littlefield, 1992); and with Terry Carrillo, A Dream Deferred (Aldine, 2010). Howard's book, Shortchanged: Life and Debt in the Fringe Economy (Berret-Koehler, 2005) examines the financial practices and products that exploit millions of American families. The book won the 2006 Independent Publishers Award in Finance/Investment/Economics. David's book, Quixote's Ghost: The Right, the Liberati, and the Future of Social Policy (Oxford University Press, 2005), explains how conservatives have assumed control of domestic policy and proposes a new framework for social policy. Quixote's Ghost won the 2006 Pro-Humanitate Literary Award.

BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. AMERICAN SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY

1. Social Policy and the American Welfare State
2. A Brief History of the American Social Welfare State
3. Social Welfare Policy Research
4. Discrimination in American Society
5. Poverty in America

PART II. THE VOLUNTARY AND FOR-PROFIT SECTORS

6. The Voluntary Sector Today
7. Privatization and Human Service Corporations

PART III. THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR

8. The Making of Governmental Policy
9. Tax Policy and Income Distribution
10. Social Insurance Programs
11. Public Assistance Programs
12. The American Health Care System
13. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Policy
14. Criminal Justice
15. Child Welfare Policy
16. Housing Policies
17. The Politics of Food Policy and Rural Life

PART IV. THE AMERICAN WELFARE STATE IN PERSPECTIVE

18. The American Welfare State in International Perspective

DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. AMERICAN SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY

1. Social Policy and the American Welfare State

Definitions of Social Welfare Policy
Social Problems and Social Welfare Policy
Social Work and Social Policy
Values, Ideology, and Social Welfare Policy
The Political Economy of American Social Welfare
The U.S. Economic Continuum
Keynesian Economics
Conservative or Free Market Economics
The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) • Democratic Socialism
The U.S. Political Continuum
Liberalism and Left-of-Center Movements
Classical Conservatives and the Far Right
The Welfare Philosophers and the Neoconservative Think Tanks
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

2. A Brief History of the American Social Welfare State

Early Antecedents of Welfare Statism
Judeo-Christian Doctrine and Social Welfare
The English Poor Laws
The Poor in Colonial America
Social Welfare in the Civil War Era
Industrialization and the Voluntary Sector
Social Darwinism
Religion and Social Welfare
Charity Organization Societies
Settlement Houses
African American Associations
The Social Casework Agency
The Progressive Movement
The Great Depression and the Modern Welfare State
The Post-World War II Welfare State
The Languishing Social Welfare State
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

3. Social Welfare Policy Research

A Proposed Model for Policy Analysis
Historical Background of the Policy
Problems That Necessitate the Policy
Policy Description
Policy Analysis
Researching and Analyzing a Social Policy Assignment
Social Policy Research and the Internet
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

4. Discrimination in American Society

Discrimination
Racism
The Minority Middle Class
African Americans
The Demography of African Americans
African Americans in Poverty
The "Diswelfare" of African Americans
Hispanic Americans
Hispanic Poverty and Income
Diversity in the Hispanic Population
American Indians
Asian Americans
Immigrants and Immigration
Immigration-Based Discrimination in Europe
Women and Society
Violence and Sexism
The Feminization of Poverty
Myths around Women and Work
Income and Job Disparities between Men and Women
Day Care: A Barrier to Female Employment
Other Obstacles Faced by Working Women
Abortion and Women's Rights
Gender Discrimination and Violence in an International Context
Gays and Lesbians: Two Populations at Risk
Gay Rights
Gays and Lesbians in the Military
Gay and Lesbian Family Life
AIDS and the Gay Community
Ageism
Elderly Poverty and Social Programs
Health Care and the Elderly
People with Disabilities
Legal Attempts to Remedy Discrimination
Desegregation and the Civil Rights Movement
Affirmative Action
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

5. Poverty in America

Theories on Poverty
Culture of Poverty
Eugenics and Poverty
The Progressive Understanding of Poverty
Who Makes Up the Poor?
Measuring Poverty
Measuring the Depth of Poverty
Families and Poverty
Child Support Enforcement
Children in Poverty
Poverty and the Elderly
The Rural Poor
Work and Poverty
A Profile of the Working Poor
Why Are There Working Poor?
Underemployment and Unemployment
Dual Labor Markets
Wages and Poverty
Strategies Developed to Combat Poverty
IDAs
Three Approaches to Combat Poverty
America's Fringe Economy
The Unbanked and the Functionally Poor
Credit and the Poor
Transportation in the Fringe Economy
World Poverty
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

PART II. THE VOLUNTARY AND FOR-PROFIT SECTORS 6. The Voluntary Sector Today

Traditional Providers
The Independent Sector
Advancing Social Justice
The United Way
Elite Philanthropy
The Future of the Voluntary Sector
Commercialization
Faith-Based Social Services
Social Entrepreneurship
Issues Facing the Voluntary Sector
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

7. Privatization and Human Service Corporations

Privatization Issues
Commercialization
Preferential Selection
Dual Levels of Care
Cost-Effectiveness
Oligopolization
The Challenge of Privatization
Unions and the Private Sector
Social Contributions of Business
Corporate Influence on Social Welfare Policy
The Future of Corporate Involvement in Social Welfare
Human Service Corporations
Consolidation and Growth in New Human
Service Markets
Nursing Homes
Hospital Management
Health Maintenance Organizations
Child Care 159
Home Health Care
Corrections
Public Welfare
Private Practice
The Future of Private Practice
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

PART III. THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR
8. The Making of Governmental Policy


A Critical Analysis of the Policy Process
The Policy Process
Social Stratification
Formulation
Legislation
The Fiscal Cliff and Sequestration
Implementation
Evaluation
Marginalization
Social Work and Advocacy Organizations
Advocacy Organizations and the New Policy Institutes
Political Practice
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

9. Tax Policy and Income Distribution

History of U.S. Tax Policy
Federal Taxes
Taxes, Spending, and the Debt
Tax Policy and Special Interests
Income Distribution
State Tax Policy and the Poor
The Efficiency of Tax Policy in Reducing Poverty
Tax Expenditures as AntiPoverty Policy
The Anti-Tax Movement
The Debate over Economic Inequality
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

10. Social Insurance Programs

Definition of Social Insurance
The Background of Social Insurance
The Financial Organization of Social Insurance
Key Social Insurance Programs
OASDI
Unemployment Compensation
Workers' Compensation
The Social Security Dilemma
Arguments against the Current Social Security System
Arguments for the Current Social Security System
Social Security in Trouble
The Long-Term Prospects for Social Security
Medicare (Hospital Insurance and Supplementary Medical Insurance)
Lingering Problems in the Social Security System
Reforming Social Security
Privatizing Social Security
Pension Systems in Selected Industrialized Countries
Canada's Retirement Income System
Retirement in the United Kingdom
The Chilean Experiment in Privatizing Social Security
Germany's Social Security System
The Greek Pension System
The Australian Retirement System
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

11. Public Assistance Programs

Assumptions and Myths about Public Assistance
Aid to Families with Dependent Children
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
Has the PRWORA Worked • Teenage Pregnancy
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
General Assistance
Trends and Issues in Public Assistance
The Transformation of Welfare Policy into Labor Policy
Welfare to Work (Workfare)
Welfare Behaviorism
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

12. The American Health Care System

The Uninsured
The Organization of Medical Services
Major Public Health Programs: Medicare, Medicaid, and S-CHIP 250
Medicare
Medicaid
The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
The Health Care Crisis
Overview of U.S. Health Care Expenditures
Explaining the High Cost of U.S. Health Care
Hospital Costs
Physicians' Salaries
The Pharmaceutical Industry
Cutting Health Care Costs
Managed Care
The Underinsured
Gun Violence and Health Care Policy
The Debate around Gun Control
What Can Be Done
U.S. Health Care in International Perspective
Comparative Analysis: Health Care in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia
Reforming U.S. Health Care
National Health Service
National Health Insurance
Incremental Reform
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (P.L. 111-148)
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

13. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Policy

Mental Health Reform
The Community Mental Health Centers Acts
Deinstitutionalization
The Advent of Psychotropic Medication
The Psychopharmacological Scandal
Children's Mental Health
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Funding
Parity for Mental Health Care
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Substance Abuse
Alcohol Abuse
Drug Abuse
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

14. Criminal Justice

History of U.S. Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice System
Juvenile Justice
The New Jim Crow
The War on Drugs
The Underclass and "Moral Poverty"
The Prison Industrial Complex
Legalization of Drugs
Police Violence
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

15. Child Welfare Policy

History of U.S. Child Welfare Policy
Protective Services for Children
Foster Care for Children
Adoption
Head Start
Emerging Issues in Child Welfare
Day Care
Maternal and Child Health
Teen Pregnancy
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

16. Housing Policies

Overview of Housing Legislation
The Federal Government and Low-Income Housing Programs
Issues in Housing Policy
Trends in U.S. Housing
Problems in Home Ownership
Homeownership and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis
The Downside of Homeownership
Problems in Finding Affordable Rental Housing
Gentrification
Overcrowded and Deficient Housing
Other Factors Affecting Housing
Homelessness
Characteristics of the Homeless Population
Trends in Homelessness
Attempts to Address Homelessness
Housing Reform
Housing in an International Context
Comparison of U.S. and European Housing
Public Housing
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

17. The Politics of Food Policy and Rural Life

The Contradictions of American Food Policy
Hunger in the United States
Governmental Food Programs
SNAP (Formerly Called Food Stamps): A Description of the Program
SNAP: Who Is in the Program, and What Does It Cost?
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Other Food Programs
Have the Food Programs Worked?
Farming in the United States
Governmental Farm Policies
Biofuels, Fracking, and Farming
The Face of U.S. Farming
Farmworkers
Issues in American Farming
The Corporatization of American Farming
Genetic Engineering
Global Trade
Food Safety
Local Selling
Organic Farming
Sustainable Development
Climate Change
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes

PART IV. THE AMERICAN WELFARE STATE IN PERSPECTIVE
18. The American Welfare State in International Perspective

Typologies of Welfare States
American Exceptionalism
The Welfare State in Transition
Ranking National Development
The Fourth World
Capability Poverty
International Aid
Global Capital
The Future
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
Notes
Glossary
Index