Bootstraps and Benevolence: A Comparative Test of States' Capacity to Effect Change in Welfare Outcomes
Renee J. Johnson, David M. Hedge, and Marian Currinder
The welfare reforms enacted in 1996 are noteworthy for shifting major responsibility for welfare programming from the federal government to the states. Evidence from the first round of reform suggests that a three-tiered system of welfare federalism has emerged. Some states use sanctions and time requirements to clear the rolls (“sticks”), others rely on programs of support (“carrots”), and a third group relies on a mix of sticks and carrots to move individuals into employment. The findings of this study suggest that both carrots and sticks are having their intended effects. States that use sanctions and provide child care support have fewer individuals on their welfare rolls and/or more individuals engaged in work-related activities.
