Do highly exclusive social welfare programs increase political inequality? A comparative analysis of the 50 US states

Abstract: "In this paper, I empirically test the notion that the degree of inclusion/ exclusion of social welfare policies can have important feedback effects on political participation of poor citizens. I conduct a comparative analysis of the 50 US states, using the uptake (or coverage rate) of the Food Stamp program as an indicator of relative inclusiveness. If the inclusiveness of the program 'sends a message' to potential recipients about their worth in the community, these messages may encourage or discourage participation. Using data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey, 1988-2000, I show that the turnout of young citizens raised in poor families is dramatically influenced by the inclusiveness of the state's Food Stamp program. High inclusive states displayed much lower rates of political inequality. The mechanisms underlying this effect remain to be specified. However, in the context of previous individual-level studies, the results bolster the idea of policy feedback gener

Object Details

• Alternative title: Erhöhen in hohem Maße ausschließende soziale Wohlfahrtsprogramme die politische Ungleichheit? Eine vergleichende Analyse zwischen 50 US-Bundesstaaten
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 23 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Discussion Papers / Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, Forschungsschwerpunkt Bildung, Arbeit und Lebenschancen, Abteilung Ungleichheit und soziale Integration ; Bd. 2010-201

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Soziale Probleme, Sozialdienste, Versicherungen
• Keyword: Sozialpolitik ; Soziale Sicherheit ; Soziale Ungleichheit ; Wohlfahrtseffekt ; Vergleich ; USA ; Deutschland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Berlin
• (when): 2010
• Creator: Plutzer, Eric
• Contributor: Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung gGmbH

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-234054
• Rights: Open Access unbekannt; Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:36 AM CEST