Lessons of Welfare: Policy Design, Essay Example

Criminal Justice and Citizenship

Weaver and Lerman argues that the expansion of the criminal justice system affects people’s socialization and attitude towards citizenship. It focuses on the criminal justice system’s attitudes towards citizens and non-citizens, as well as ethnic or gender minorities.

The authors found relationship between carceral contact and citizenship. Further, the authors find that contact with criminal justice system is racially concentrated. Further, civic participation of people who were questioned, arrested, or convicted was negatively affected, just like their trust in the government.

Political participation among those who had contact with the criminal justice system was also negatively impacted. In both Add Health and Fragile Families data, registration to vote or voting was lower than the mainstream population’s.

Welfare And Citizenship

Soss examined welfare policies and his research was based on finding positive correlation between public assistance programs and political, social involvement. The research was based on detailed interview with citizens of the United States.

The research focused on population that was in receipt of benefits, and participated in some government funded welfare or education program. Comparing the impact of AFDC and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) schemes on citizenship, the research found that AFDC clients  – due to the increased involvement of agencies and authority “perceived their welfare relationships as one-way transactions” (Soss, 366), therefore, their citizenship perception was negatively affected.

The author found that those citizens who receive non-means-tested benefits were just as active politically as the mainstream population, however, those who received means tested benefits were less active. Those who participated in Head Start had a more positive view about the effectiveness of the government, and democracy. However, citizens who took part in AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) were found to be discouraged from taking part in politics.

Works Cited

Soss, Joe. “Lessons of Welfare: Policy Design, Political Learning, and Political Action” The American Political Science Review, Vol. 93, No. 2 (Jun., 1999), pp. 363-380. 1999. Print.

Weaver, Vesla and Lerman, Amy. “Political Consequences of the Carceral State” American Political Science Review Vol. 104, No. 4 November 2010. Print.