- The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Social Policy
- List of Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- The Fragmented American Welfare State: Putting the Pieces Together
- Social Provision before the Twentieth Century
- The Progressive Era
- The Great Depression and World War II
- From the Fair Deal to the Great Society
- The U.S. Welfare State Since 1970
- A Cross-National Perspective on the American Welfare State
- Cultural Influences on Social Policy Development
- Political Institutions and U.S. Social Policy
- Political Parties and Social Policy
- Interest Groups
- Constituencies and Public Opinion
- Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Social Policy
- Gender
- Social Security
- Private Pensions
- Medicare
- Long-Term Care for the Elderly
- Medicaid
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- The Politics of Supporting Low-Wage Workers and Families
- Food Assistance Programs and Food Security
- Public Housing and Vouchers
- Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income
- Workers’ Compensation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Care and Work-Family Policies
- Homeownership Policy
- Private Health Insurance: Tax Breaks, Regulation, and Politics
- Pension and Health Benefits for Public-Sector Workers
- Social Programs for Soldiers and Veterans
- Poverty
- Inequality
- Citizenship
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
This chapter examines the role of interest groups in shaping American social welfare policy. It outlines major theories and findings on interest group influence in American politics and comparative welfare state development and examines the activities and influence of major categories of groups, including business, labor, agriculture, professional associations, intergovernmental organizations, and citizens’ groups. Although many interest groups have helped secure policies that form a limited social safety net, this chapter suggests that the competition among a diverse array of interest groups in a fragmented political system makes policy change difficult. This tendency towards gridlock, which favors the interests of some groups over others, has constrained the size and redistribution of the American welfare state.
Keywords: interest groups, business, labor, citizens’ groups, welfare state
Tracy Roof is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Richmond.
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- The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Social Policy
- List of Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- The Fragmented American Welfare State: Putting the Pieces Together
- Social Provision before the Twentieth Century
- The Progressive Era
- The Great Depression and World War II
- From the Fair Deal to the Great Society
- The U.S. Welfare State Since 1970
- A Cross-National Perspective on the American Welfare State
- Cultural Influences on Social Policy Development
- Political Institutions and U.S. Social Policy
- Political Parties and Social Policy
- Interest Groups
- Constituencies and Public Opinion
- Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Social Policy
- Gender
- Social Security
- Private Pensions
- Medicare
- Long-Term Care for the Elderly
- Medicaid
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- The Politics of Supporting Low-Wage Workers and Families
- Food Assistance Programs and Food Security
- Public Housing and Vouchers
- Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income
- Workers’ Compensation
- Unemployment Insurance
- Care and Work-Family Policies
- Homeownership Policy
- Private Health Insurance: Tax Breaks, Regulation, and Politics
- Pension and Health Benefits for Public-Sector Workers
- Social Programs for Soldiers and Veterans
- Poverty
- Inequality
- Citizenship
- Index
