Social Policy and Social Programs: A Method for the Practical Public Policy Analyst

This popular and practical text explores the basics of social policy and program analysis, including how to design new programs or evaluate and improve upon existing ones. It provides readers with the criteria for judging the effectiveness of current programs and outlines methods for analyzing social services such as counseling and therapeutic services, supportive assistance, and “hard benefits” such as food stamps, cash, and housing vouchers.

Highlights of the New Edition —

• The most up-to-date information on current social programs
• A new section on the revolutionary move towards privatization of social welfare services in the past decade discussing its advantages and disadvantages 
• A new section on the recent devolution of social welfare responsibilities from the federal government onto the states with its accompanying difficulties and benefits for financing and service delivery
• A new section on “faith-based” service delivery, and the new “charitable choice” idea
• A new section on the development of “for-profit” service delivery agencies and systems
• Updated sources and references with the latest research, including new data on poverty, poverty lines, TANF, Medicare/Medicaid, and child welfare legislation.
• Examination of the dramatic changes that have been made in the U.S. welfare system, especially those that have weakened the basic safety net: medical care, child welfare, and immigration law and practices

What reviewers are saying —

“The value of the text for me is that it does not focus on a particular area or issue, but provides the skills future social workers need to evaluate areas of interest or need in practice.” — Iris Phillips, University of Southern Indiana

“Overall the students find the writing clear and concise and the concepts engaging and useful. The policy framework provided by the author is one of their favorite frameworks for policy analysis.” — Roger E. Boyd, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

“I love the book and have used it for more than 5 years. That is the longest I have used any text in my teaching career.” — Ruth White, Seattle University