Search results

"Comparatively little has been written on administration in the rapidly developing field of public welfare. Because of the demand for a simple presentation giving a general survey of the field, the American Public Welfare Association felt that it was important to undertake the task. With clear understanding of the difficulties involved in presenting the broad view of these large problems rather than undertaking the detailed examination of a specific problem, we offer this book as a starting point. If the presentation can serve as a stimulus for other publications in the field, we shall feel well repaid for our efforts"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

Reviews problems of public welfare in the US, highlighting the negative effects of the expansion of the welfare system on poverty levels. It is argued that the welfare system has created behavioral disincentives that trap many recipients in poverty across generations by producing dependency & decreasing work effort. Increased dependence, in turn, has strong negative effects on children's intellectual abilities & life prospects: children raised by families on welfare are more likely to fail in school, be engaged in criminal activities, & end up on welfare themselves. Welfare reform, it is argued, must acknowledge the fact that most programs designed to alleviate material poverty lead to an increase in behavioral poverty. R. Jaramillo