Public Opinion - United States, Welfare - Service & Policies

Support for the American welfare state

Name: Support for the American welfare state
Author: Fay Lomax Cook
ISBN: 9780231076180

by Fay Lomax Cook

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

What is the state of the American welfare state? After half a century of growth and development, social welfare programs came under attack during the 1980s, generating widespread uncertainty about their future. Yet the welfare state weathered the assault. Cook and Barrett argue that social welfare in America is firmly rooted and that the American welfare state is here to stay. They attribute this to a strong reservoir of support on the part of both policymakers and the general public.Support for the American Welfare State asks how much support there is, who is most supportive, and why there are differences in levels of support. The authors report the results of a survey of attitudes of both the general public and members of the U.S. House of Representatives about Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, Medicaid, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Food Stamps, and Unemployment Compensation-seven of the largest programs in the American welfare state.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

American Political Science Review

Examines the contemporary politics of the U.S. welfare state through the lens of public opinion. . . . Their analysis is valuable because they make a series of thoughtful distinctions-among programs, the constituencies they serve, degrees of public support, and attitudes correlated with support-instead of merely asking for general approval or disapproval of something called 'welfare.'

Booknews

Despite the severity of conservative attacks on welfare in the 1980s, efforts to dismantle or substantially reduce existing programs have been unsuccessful. Cook and Barrett explore the deep roots of support for social welfare programs among elected officials and the public and conclude that the "American welfare state is here to stay." Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)