Report
Separate and Unequal: The Dimensions and Consequences of Safety Net Decentralization in the U.S. 1994-2014
Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2016
Abstract
In this paper, we examine the dimensions and consequences of decentralized social safety netpolicies. We consider the adequacy of benefits and inclusiveness of receipt for eleven federal-stateprograms that constitute the core of safety net provision for working age adults and families: cashassistance, food assistance, health insurance, child support, child care, preschool/early education,unemployment insurance, state income taxes, cash assistance work assistance, disability assistance, andhousing assistance. In the first part of the paper we examine the extent of cross-state inequality in socialprovision. We find substantial variation across states; variation that is consistent with policy designdifferences in state discretion; and at levels equal to or greater than variation across the Europeancountries that have been recognized as having different welfare regimes. In the second section, we turn toan analysis of change over time (1994 to 2014) examining four dimensions of convergence: degree,location of change, direction of change, and scope. We find both decreases (retrenchment) and increases(expansions) of provision, a handful of cases of convergence (decreasing inequality) and divergence(increasing inequality), and a great deal of synchronous change and persistence in the magnitude of cross-state inequalities.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Separate and Unequal: The Dimensions and Consequences of Safety Net Decentralization in the U.S. 1994-2014
- Creators
- Sarah K Bruch - University of IowaMarcia K Meyers - University of WashingtonJanet C Gornick - City University of New York
- Resource Type
- Report
- Publisher
- Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Number of pages
- 51 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2016 the authors
- Comment
- IRP Discussion Paper No. 1432-16
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2016
- Academic Unit
- Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984479554602771
Metrics
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