Abstract
Welfare policy is multidimensional because of the political compromises, competing goals, and federalist structure underpinning it. This complexity has hindered measurement and, therefore, the comparability of research on race and welfare policy. This paper describes a measurement strategy that is transparent, replicable, and attuned to matching the assumptions of statistical models to the policy process. We demonstrate that this strategy leads to more nuanced conclusions regarding the relationship between minority caseloads and the flexibility of state welfare policies. The strategy and recommendations are adaptable to research agendas that scholars bring to the comparative study of welfare in the U.S. states, countries, or other units—and to other complex policies enacted in federal systems.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 712-734 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Policy Studies Journal |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2019 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Sociology and Political Science
- Public Administration
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
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Measuring Complex State Policies : Pitfalls and Considerations, with an Application to Race and Welfare Policy. / Plutzer, Eric; Berkman, Michael B.; Honaker, James; Ojeda, Christopher; Whitesell, Anne.
In: Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 47, No. 3, 01.01.2019, p. 712-734.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Measuring Complex State Policies
T2 - Pitfalls and Considerations, with an Application to Race and Welfare Policy
AU - Plutzer, Eric
AU - Berkman, Michael B.
AU - Honaker, James
AU - Ojeda, Christopher
AU - Whitesell, Anne
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Welfare policy is multidimensional because of the political compromises, competing goals, and federalist structure underpinning it. This complexity has hindered measurement and, therefore, the comparability of research on race and welfare policy. This paper describes a measurement strategy that is transparent, replicable, and attuned to matching the assumptions of statistical models to the policy process. We demonstrate that this strategy leads to more nuanced conclusions regarding the relationship between minority caseloads and the flexibility of state welfare policies. The strategy and recommendations are adaptable to research agendas that scholars bring to the comparative study of welfare in the U.S. states, countries, or other units—and to other complex policies enacted in federal systems.
AB - Welfare policy is multidimensional because of the political compromises, competing goals, and federalist structure underpinning it. This complexity has hindered measurement and, therefore, the comparability of research on race and welfare policy. This paper describes a measurement strategy that is transparent, replicable, and attuned to matching the assumptions of statistical models to the policy process. We demonstrate that this strategy leads to more nuanced conclusions regarding the relationship between minority caseloads and the flexibility of state welfare policies. The strategy and recommendations are adaptable to research agendas that scholars bring to the comparative study of welfare in the U.S. states, countries, or other units—and to other complex policies enacted in federal systems.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059543173&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85059543173&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/psj.12307
DO - 10.1111/psj.12307
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059543173
VL - 47
SP - 712
EP - 734
JO - Policy Studies Journal
JF - Policy Studies Journal
SN - 0190-292X
IS - 3
ER -