The purpose of this study is to revisit the question of whether welfare benefit levels influence female headship, and whether the effect differs between the two main eras of welfare policy relevant to female headship, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). This study adds to the existing literature by including more up to date data allowing for a comparison between the AFDC and TANF eras. Results show that the effect of welfare benefits on female headship rates changes from negative to positive after welfare reform occurred among blacks, while no change occured among whites.

As Medicaid moves toward a system of managed care, Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients often are assigned to an organization that assumes responsibility for managing their annual receipt of health care. This study reports the results of an investigation into the patterns of medical care utilization by AFDC recipients and their children under reformed Medicaid. The issues explored include whether or not medical care utilization patterns vary by race, and if there are identifiable factors that determine the utilization patterns of AFDC recipients and their children. We conclude that racial differences in medical care utilization do exist for AFDC recipients, but not for their children. Policy makers involved in reforming Medicaid should recognize that certain cohorts continue to exhibit undesirable medical care utilization patterns, and implement measures to rectify this situation.

This paper examines how the definition of family, within Federal public housing and welfare policy, corresponds with changes in family patterns in America from 1950 to 2000. The definition of family as used to determine welfare eligibility is extremely important not only for how it defines recipients of cash aid but also because of how it affects public housing clients. In the name of economic vitality, needy individuals might choose to define their family according to the lowest common denominator to gain access to both welfare and public housing, thus negating diverse forms of family. Since family definition serves as an important gate-keeping device for program benefits to otherwise eligible families, it is important to establish if policy definitions of family reflect changing patterns of need or perceived normative definitions of "proper" family form. While public housing policy is the focal point of this research, it is necessary to review both housing and welfare policy to ascertain the impact of welfare policy's definition on overlapping participants. The changes in policy definition will be juxtaposed with cultural and legal shifts in family form to explore the policy's interaction with larger social trends. Public housing and welfare policy beginning with their respective inaugural legislation, the Wagner-Steagall Housing Act of 1937 and the Social Security Act of 1934, and their subsequent revisions are examined to track modifications to family definition. U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Reports, Series P20-537, "America's Families and Living Arrangements" data from 1950-2000 and Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters (POSSLQ) forecasting have been used to track social trends related to family composition patterns. Additionally, Federal and State Supreme Court rulings related to family formation and Domestic Partner legislation in California and Vermont have been used to gauge the legal legitimacy of varying family forms. Among the study's findings is public housing legislation's ongoing broad definition of family, the degree of influence welfare policy has historically had on the family form of public housing residents, and public housing's new "mixed family". Recommendations for future research include an examination of public housing's new "mixed family" issue and an examination of the impact on family form of the current public housing and welfare legislation: Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act (QHWRA) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

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人們依觀念或基本原則的共識所建構之政策，隨著時間的移轉而呈現不同的面貌，這樣的一個政策變遷的過程，究竟是國家主體外的因素扮演重要的角色，國家僅是被動的回應，或者國家本身對於公共政策有相當大的自主性？而且這樣的改變僅是某些政策的調整，抑或是完全改變整個政策的形構？又，這些改變對於原來觀念中的秩序會產生什麼影響？本文嘗試以「政策學習」觀點為基底的「政策變遷」途徑，來解釋這個政策不斷變遷的現象，作為傳統以衝突觀點來詮釋的另一途徑，並建立出分析的架構，據以詳細檢視美國「失依兒童家庭救助」計畫在1935-1996年這段期間各階段為何改變、如何改變，以及改變的層次與幅度，以證實過去政策的經驗與結果會影響未來政策的走向。 本文計分七部分，第一章說明研究主旨，以及本研究所採行相關概念的釐清；第二章則檢視學者們對「政策學習」方面的研究，並建立出政策變遷的學習模式；第三章至第六章是對美國「失依兒童家庭救助」計畫的個案檢視部分，本文將之區分成一九六０年代以前，一九六０至一九八０年代前，一九八０年代，以及一九九０年代「失依兒童家庭救助」計畫的終結與「貧困家庭暫時救助」計畫的制定四個階段作討論，並列表與學習模式的命題作對照；第七章則提出個案檢視後的研究發現，並針對以「學習」觀點詮釋「政策變遷」現象之恰當性作一討論。 檢視美國「失依兒童家庭救助」計畫的歷史演變後，本研究發現，政策典範發生移轉，是問題的結構本質，或原先所認定的問題情境發生了變化所致，這是由社會的演進、經濟的發展，以及人口結構的改變等因素所造成，政策遺產應該只是風向球的作用。在政策變遷的驅動力與政策變遷幅度之間的對應性方面，筆者只能確定，要發生政策典範的移轉，一定要有社會力量與國家力量的結合，但是這兩者力量的結合，未必就一定會發生政策典範的移轉，有可能僅是呈現較低層次的變動。此外，變動的方向以及解決策略上的調整，除了受觀念改變影響外，還受到這個國家對貧窮、對國家的角色，以及對工作德行的看法等因素所影響。最後，本研究認為「政策學習」觀點認為「先前政策執行的經驗會影響到後續政策的修正」（或「政策修正是對先前的政策有意義的回應」）是正確的觀察，至少在本個案中是一再地出現，因此政策的改變未必皆是權力的競逐、衝突的妥協，其也可能是理性、有意識地學習效果是可以肯定的。

從層出不窮的社會案件中，不難窺知，實務上社會給付行政，存有落實不力、進而對弱勢者造成諸多不利益影響之問題，誠揭櫫了，建立專屬於弱勢者社會給付之行政體系之必要性。然而，對於弱勢者社會給付行政體系之建立，首要前提便是─須確立對弱勢者族群，國家有給予較多之保護與保障之職責。據此，於憲法層次意義上的討論便格外具有其重要性。爰此，本文將主軸置於社會國原則之探討，以及國家保護義務之分析，並嘗試推敲二者間之相互關係為何，以作為對弱勢者保護之憲法基石。主要參酌德國法制實務與學理之探討，作為討論之軸心；並對照我國實務暨學理上的討論為統整融合。 奠定於社會國原則與國家保護義務所建構之憲法核心思維基礎後，本文認為進行關於弱勢者社會給付行政體系之建立，將更具正當性與合理性。復而秉持著上開憲法上中心思想，參酌比較法制度，針對社會給付行政實務中廣泛可見之行政指導，以及相對於傳統干預行政體系之社會給付行政特性，進行微調與修正。前者將以日本法制度為對照組；後者則以德國社會行政程序法為主要觀察對象，遂嘗試擬定一我國社會給付行政體系之雛型。嗣後並反觀我國法制度規範，推敲採納該體系之可行性與可效倣理由。 透過對弱勢者社會給付行政體系之憲法上社會國原則暨國家保護義務之基礎，以及行政法體系之雛型，解決目前實務可能發生之怠為／不為、錯誤之行政指導；民眾協力義務要求程度之疑問、機關職權調查之必要性；乃至於實體層面信賴保護原則之相關問題。另外，並針對協力義務與職權調查容忍義務部分，涉及社會給付與受領社會給付者之憲法基本權衝突的議題做一檢視；以及源自英美國家之「工作福利」（workfare）制度，立於憲法基本權侵害之切入視點，檢討納入我國社會給付行政制度之運行操作是否合適妥當。