ANALYZING SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES Chapter 6

What is policy analysis? Investigation and inquiry into the causes and consequences of public policies (Dye, 1998) The study of public policies, which reflect the social and political consensus of policy-makers and voters Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

The development of social welfare policy – underlying dynamics Rationalism – form of public policy development that stresses knowledge of all values, possible policy alternatives, and consequences of those alternatives when making policy How realistic is this approach? Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Incrementalism Public policy is developed through small changes to existing policies Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Window of Opportunity The time period in which political or social events or changes in personnel open the way for a policy to be adopted Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Magnitude in policy making Dramatic events create openings for the development and passage of public policies Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Critical analysis of social welfare policy Social welfare policy is created in the context of power struggles Critical analysis takes into account who has power, who does not, who makes decisions, and for whom those decisions are made Based on Critical Theory Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Implementation of Policies What develops as policy and what actually gets implemented as a program or service goes through a process, and that process shapes the outcome of the policy Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Street-level Bureaucrats After policy is implemented, it goes through the delivery process The influence and impact on the delivery of social welfare services by those who are directly responsible for its delivery is known as street-level bureaucracy (Lipsky, 1980) Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Models of Social Welfare Policy Analysis Sequential Model – follows a logical pathway Critical Theory Model – follows pathway and includes analysis of power and impact of forces of discrimination Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Sequential Model Identify a social issue or social problem Identify the agreed upon goal What policy or legislation was developed in response to this issue? How was the policy implemented? What were: The public’s expectations? The actual impact? The Intended impact? The affected population? Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Critical Theory Model Identify a social issue or social problem Identify the balance or imbalance of power What is the public reaction to the issue? What policy or legislation was developed in response to this issue? How was the policy implemented? What were: The public’s expectations? The actual impact? The Intended impact? The affected population? Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education

Policy making does not follow a rational course, rather is greatly influenced by values and beliefs How do we create social welfare policies that promote social justice and respond to the wide array of values and beliefs? Social Welfare Policy and Social Programs: A Values Perspective, by Elizabeth Segal Copyright 2007, Brooks/Cole, a division of Thomson Higher Education