Instructor’s Resource Manual and Test Bank
for
Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy
Eighth Edition
]
i
,INTRODUCTION CHAPTER
Politics, Rationalism, and Social Welfare Policy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Identify the difficulties in defining social welfare policy.
• Describe a rational approach to social welfare policy.
• Examine questions that the political approach raises about rational policymaking and the roles of
incrementalism and policy punctuations in policymaking.
CSWE COMPETENCIES FOUND IN THIS CHAPTER
Critical Thinking Diversity in Practice Human Rights & Justice Policy Practice
CHAPTER OUTLINE
What is Social Welfare Policy?
Social Welfare Policy: A Rational Approach
Steps in the Rational Process
The Limits of Rationality
Social Welfare Policy: A Political Approach
Incrementalism
Policy Punctuations
Summary
SUGGESTED IN CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What distinguishes social welfare policy from other types of government or agency policies?
2. The rational approach and the political approach appear to be in conflict. What could be done to
resolve the differences in these approaches? What difficulties might you encounter in trying to
get politicians to take a more rational approach to policymaking?
3. Select a familiar social welfare policy (perhaps one that has recently been in the news), and
discuss the unpredictable factors that might make it difficult for policymakers to choose among
policy alternatives.
4. The authors suggest that incrementalism is a more conservative approach to public
policymaking. In what ways might incrementalism be used to hinder necessary major shifts in
1
, social welfare policy?
5. The authors describe policy punctuations as "major policy changes [that] emerge when more
minor events add up over time." What do you think the next policy punctuation in United States
social welfare policy might be, and why? What do you imagine will be the result of that policy
punctuation?
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
1. Look at the document "How Our Laws Are Made" on the Library of Congress website. Discuss
some of the points in the process where legislation can be blocked, e.g. in committee hearings,
in committee markup, in the rules committee, Senate filibusters, or in conference committees,
among others.
2. Invite a member or your local government authority, your state legislature, your Congressperson,
or your Senator to an in-person or online discussion on the way policies are made at his or her
level of government. Ask your guest what roadblocks he or she has encountered in trying to
bring about policy change.
3. Put on an in-class debate on incrementalism. Have one team favor the incremental approach to
policymaking. Ask the other team to oppose the incremental approach. Establish rules for the
debate. If the class is large, break it into smaller groups and ask each group to elect a member of
the debate team for their side of the debate. The instructor or a student selected by his or her
peers may act as moderator.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Perform an internet search for “Thomas Library of Congress” to find the Library of Congress site that
provides federal legislative information and many related resources to the public at the website.
Perform an internet search for “U.S. House of Representatives” to uncover the site that provides
information on House members, committees, legislation, and votes.
Search for “U.S. Senate” to explore the web site that provides information on Senate members.
SUGGESTED ASSIGNMENTS
Have students research one or more of the following key terms. Some suggested assignments follow.
• Rationalism • Conflict Theory
• Rational choice theory • Social insurance
• Incrementalism • Social services
• Social Welfare • Public assistance
• Policymaking Process • Bounded rationality
• Incremental model
Suggested Research-Based Assignment
2
, Choose a social welfare policy of interest to you. Selecting at least two of the keywords from the list,
conduct a search for recent newspaper, news website, political commentary, or peer- reviewed journal
articles addressing your chosen policy and utilizing the keywords you selected. Find a minimum of 5
sources. Write a three-page summary of how the policy concepts are being applied in the policy.
3
for
Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy
Eighth Edition
]
i
,INTRODUCTION CHAPTER
Politics, Rationalism, and Social Welfare Policy
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Identify the difficulties in defining social welfare policy.
• Describe a rational approach to social welfare policy.
• Examine questions that the political approach raises about rational policymaking and the roles of
incrementalism and policy punctuations in policymaking.
CSWE COMPETENCIES FOUND IN THIS CHAPTER
Critical Thinking Diversity in Practice Human Rights & Justice Policy Practice
CHAPTER OUTLINE
What is Social Welfare Policy?
Social Welfare Policy: A Rational Approach
Steps in the Rational Process
The Limits of Rationality
Social Welfare Policy: A Political Approach
Incrementalism
Policy Punctuations
Summary
SUGGESTED IN CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What distinguishes social welfare policy from other types of government or agency policies?
2. The rational approach and the political approach appear to be in conflict. What could be done to
resolve the differences in these approaches? What difficulties might you encounter in trying to
get politicians to take a more rational approach to policymaking?
3. Select a familiar social welfare policy (perhaps one that has recently been in the news), and
discuss the unpredictable factors that might make it difficult for policymakers to choose among
policy alternatives.
4. The authors suggest that incrementalism is a more conservative approach to public
policymaking. In what ways might incrementalism be used to hinder necessary major shifts in
1
, social welfare policy?
5. The authors describe policy punctuations as "major policy changes [that] emerge when more
minor events add up over time." What do you think the next policy punctuation in United States
social welfare policy might be, and why? What do you imagine will be the result of that policy
punctuation?
CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
1. Look at the document "How Our Laws Are Made" on the Library of Congress website. Discuss
some of the points in the process where legislation can be blocked, e.g. in committee hearings,
in committee markup, in the rules committee, Senate filibusters, or in conference committees,
among others.
2. Invite a member or your local government authority, your state legislature, your Congressperson,
or your Senator to an in-person or online discussion on the way policies are made at his or her
level of government. Ask your guest what roadblocks he or she has encountered in trying to
bring about policy change.
3. Put on an in-class debate on incrementalism. Have one team favor the incremental approach to
policymaking. Ask the other team to oppose the incremental approach. Establish rules for the
debate. If the class is large, break it into smaller groups and ask each group to elect a member of
the debate team for their side of the debate. The instructor or a student selected by his or her
peers may act as moderator.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Perform an internet search for “Thomas Library of Congress” to find the Library of Congress site that
provides federal legislative information and many related resources to the public at the website.
Perform an internet search for “U.S. House of Representatives” to uncover the site that provides
information on House members, committees, legislation, and votes.
Search for “U.S. Senate” to explore the web site that provides information on Senate members.
SUGGESTED ASSIGNMENTS
Have students research one or more of the following key terms. Some suggested assignments follow.
• Rationalism • Conflict Theory
• Rational choice theory • Social insurance
• Incrementalism • Social services
• Social Welfare • Public assistance
• Policymaking Process • Bounded rationality
• Incremental model
Suggested Research-Based Assignment
2
, Choose a social welfare policy of interest to you. Selecting at least two of the keywords from the list,
conduct a search for recent newspaper, news website, political commentary, or peer- reviewed journal
articles addressing your chosen policy and utilizing the keywords you selected. Find a minimum of 5
sources. Write a three-page summary of how the policy concepts are being applied in the policy.
3
