Description
Book SynopsisFor generations, debating the expansion or contraction of the American welfare state has produced some of the nation's most heated legislative battles. Attempting social policy reform is both risky and complicated, especially when it involves dealing with powerful vested interests, sharp ideological disagreements, and a nervous public. "The Politics of Policy Change" compares and contrasts recent developments in three major federal policy areas in the United States: welfare, Medicare, and Social Security. Daniel Beland and Alex Waddan argue that we should pay close attention to the role of ideas when explaining the motivations for, and obstacles to, policy change. This insightful book concentrates on three cases of social policy reform (or attempted reform) that took place during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Beland and Waddan further employ their framework to help explain the meaning of the 2010 health insurance reform and other developments that have taken place during the Obama presidency. The result is a book that will improve our understanding of the politics of policy change in contemporary federal politics.
Trade ReviewThis theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich book is an important contribution to the policy making literature, and will help readers understand why things change and why they stay the same. Choice A lively and readable synthesis of much of the vast social scientific and historical literature on the contemporary American welfare state. It is also an invaluable primer on recent developments in Medicare, welfare, and pension policy. Perspectives on Politics
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. Welfare Reform, 1996 2. Medicare Reform, 2003 3. The Failed Attempt at Social Security Privatization, 2005 ConclusionReferences Index
