This study examines change in welfare using time series analysis in five major United States public assistance programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Supplemental Security Income, State General Assistance, Medicaid and Food Stamps. Two types of change-producting interventions are considered. One type of intervention is a major legislative event in the history of the program. The other type of intervention is the "welfare rights movement" of the 1960s. The analysis identifies points of major change in total constant dollar payments, average constant dollar payments per recipient, and numbers of recipients. Findings are analyzed for each program and compared across programs. Cross-program comparisons take into account differences in intervention effects based on program age, clientele, administrative structure, and type of transfer (cash or inkind). / Findings suggest that in only limited cases have legislative changes in public assistance programs produced intended results. Legislation aimed at increasing welfare spending and number of recipients has been much more successful in accomplishing its goals than legislation aimed at curbing spending and recipient growth. For example legislation federalizing the adult public assistance programs in 1973 in order to raise payment levels and include new recipients was generally effective. However, legislative amendments to the Social Security Act in 1962 and 1967 intended to reduce the number of welfare families with dependent children were unsuccessful in limiting growth. Encouraging welfare growth through legislative change is far more effective than limiting growth. / The welfare rights movement was not a consistent predictor of dramatic increases in welfare spending and recipient levels. In the cash assistance programs, Aid to Families with Dependent Children and General Assistance, continual, steady increases in total constant dollar payments and numbers of recipients occurred, not explosive growth. Average constant dollar payments did not increase in either program. In the Supplemental Security Income program there was growth in the portion of the program for the disabled but not for the elderly or blind. Of all the welfare programs, most growth occurred in the inkind programs, Medicaid and Food Stamps. These inkind programs were the real welfare-expanding programs of 1960s. These findings suggest that the major effect of the welfare rights movement was not to increase cash benefit programs, but to stimulate new services for the poor. While the movement was unsuccessful in boosting cash benefits for recipients, legislators were spurred to do something about welfare, even if this meant reintroducing the more paternalistic inkind welfare programs of the early- and middle-twentieth century. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-07, Section: A, page: 3244. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74222 |
| Contributors | DINITTO, DIANA MARIA., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 254 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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