Welfare policy choices in the states: Does the hard line follow the color line?

摘要

In the 1990s, federal welfare reform shifted control over many aspects of social provision down to the state level. Some observers predicted the states would act as "laboratories of democracy" seeking out new and better ways to solve problems related to poverty. Others suggested the states would "race to the bottom" in an effort to pare costs and avoid becoming a comparatively generous "magnet" for low-income families. State policy choices, however, are more than just efforts to solve problems, and they can rarely be explained solely by the urge to minimize costs. They are, at root, political decisions, reflecting the wide range of values, beliefs, demands, and constraints that shape governance in a diverse democracy.