In: Political science quarterly: a nonpartisan journal devoted to the study and analysis of government, politics and international affairs ; PSQ, Band 95, Heft 3, S. 493-494
In: Policy sciences: integrating knowledge and practice to advance human dignity ; the journal of the Society of Policy Scientists, Band 4, Heft 1, S. 1-11
The impact that systems analysis has had on the welfare reform legislation of the last 4 years is discussed. After a general discussion of welfare reform's objectives & constraints, & their particular application to the family assistance proposal, the state of the art of systems analysis as related to welfare problems is described. The successes & failures of the cost-effectiveness approach in developing & modifying the proposal are outlined in analyses of major issues, including the proposal's impact on state welfare programs, work incentives, the integration of cash assistance with assistance in kind, & alternatives for welfare administration. Analysis has focused on single welfare programs, rather than the overall system. Technical issues are much easier for the analyst than political issues. Drastic change is improbable because welfare proposals have become institutionalized. Modified HA.