Resource Policy

The Consequences of Decentralization: Inequality in Safety Net Provision in the Post–Welfare Reform Era

This article examines how the decentralization of safety net programs after welfare reform has led to growing inequality in benefit generosity and access across U.S. states.

Organization: The University of Chicago Press Journals

Authors: Sarah K. Bruch, Marcia K. Meyers, Janet C. Gornick

Published Year: 2018

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The authors analyze 10 federal-state safety net programs from 1994 to 2014, showing that programs with more state discretion experienced greater variation in benefit levels and eligibility rules.

The findings highlight that welfare reform, particularly the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), increased disparities between states, leaving residents in some states with significantly fewer resources and more restrictive access than others