Social Policy in the United States: Future Possibilities in Historical Perspective

by Theda Skocpol

Health care, welfare, Social Security, employment programs--all are part of ongoing national debates about the future of social policy in the United States. In this wide-ranging collection of essays, Theda Skocpol shows how historical understanding, centered on governmental institutions and political alliances, can illuminate the limits and possibilities of American social policymaking both past and present. Skocpol dispels the myth that Americans are inherently hostile to social spending and suggests why President Clinton's health care agenda was so quickly attacked despite the support of most Americans for his goals.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, Economics, Political Science

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 1994

About the author

Theda Skocpol is the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University and the Director of the Scholars Strategy Network. She is a past president of the American Political Science Association.

Reviews

[Scott Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was brought out in 1995, during the re-organization of social spending under Clinton. Skocpol ties current trends to historical events, tracing social spending back to post-Civil War era pensions.