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9780801451737

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<p> Calling The Other Welfare one of the best histories of a U.S. social program would be true, but that would not be strong enough praise. This book offers readers a valuable window on the entire American welfare state during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The authors pay careful attention to all three branches of government, as well as developments at the state and local levels. Edward D. Berkowitz and Larry DeWitt take a relatively unknown social program and make its history seem absolutely central to the history of U.S. social policy. -Christopher D. Howard, College of William & Mary, author of The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths about U.S. Social Policy

In their masterful historical account of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), EdwardD. Berkowitz and Larry DeWitt argue convincingly that disability benefits policy, though little studied by historians and political scientists, is at the heart ofcontemporary debate over the proper scope of government and its capacity to dogood.... Drawing from archival material not previously available, Berkowitz and DeWitt'sThe Other Welfare is a marvelous book and their inquiry a timely one. Reformers ofthe left and right, academics, and policy analysts would do well to heed its lessons asour nation, amid great public doubt, partisan rancor, and budgetary pressures, rollsout the Affordable Care Act, one of the most ambitious pieces of social legislationsince SSI. Jennifer L. Erkul, Journal of Children and Poverty (September 2013)

This unusual book provides an in-depth history of the administration of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program from its inception through 1996 and the Clinton administration. Berkowitz and DeWitt examine the pressures and compromises they witnessed from their respective professional positions... The authors' proximity to the program enables them to report the details of political maneuvers and policy proposals few others could achieve. -Choice (December 2013) In their masterful historical account of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Edward D. Berkowitz and Larry DeWitt argue convincingly that disability benefits policy, though little studied by historians and political scientists, is at the heart of contemporary debate over the proper scope of government and its capacity to do good... Drawing from archival material not previously available, Berkowitz and DeWitt's The Other Welfare is a marvelous book and their inquiry a timely one. Reformers of the left and right, academics, and policy analysts would do well to heed its lessons as our nation, amid great public doubt, partisan rancor, and budgetary pressures, rolls out the Affordable Care Act, one of the most ambitious pieces of social legislation since SSI. -Jennifer L. Erkul, Journal of Children and Poverty (September 2013) Berkowitz and DeWitt offer an exceptionally fine history of SSI. Along with their descriptive project, Berkowitz and DeWitt offer a handful of historically informed lessons for SSI, including how the perceived 'deservedness' of program beneficiaries can profoundly affect how policies are understood and how they are 'reformed.' -Stephen Pimpare, The Journal of American History, (March 2014) The Other Welfare is an excellent and insightful contribution to the study of federal and state interactions in social-welfare policy making and execution. In a few years its readers will want to return to it to trace the parallels between SSI and Obamacare. -John E. Murray,Journal of Interdisciplinary History(2014) The Other Welfare is a programmatic history of an often neglected but vitally important part of the American social safety net. Given the significance of SSI to the U.S. welfare state and its growth in an era otherwise marked by a rhetorical rejection of 'big government liberalism,' the program's history helps us better understand not only the strengths and limitations of the U.S. welfare state but also the general trajectory of American politics. -Molly Michelmore, Washington and Lee University, author of Tax and Spend: The Welfare State, Tax Politics, and the Limits of American Liberalism Calling The Other Welfare one of the best histories of a U.S. social program would be true, but that would not be strong enough praise. This book offers readers a valuable window on the entire American welfare state during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The authors pay careful attention to all three branches of government, as well as developments at the state and local levels. Edward D. Berkowitz and Larry DeWitt take a relatively unknown social program and make its history seem absolutely central to the history of U.S. social policy. -Christopher D. Howard, College of William & Mary, author of The Welfare State Nobody Knows: Debunking Myths about U.S. Social Policy

Author Information

Edward D. Berkowitz is Professor of History and Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University. He is the author of several books, including Mass Appeal: The Formative Age of the Movies, Radio, and TV and Something Happened: A Political and Cultural Overview of the Seventies as well as many books and articles on Social Security and the welfare state. Larry DeWitt is Former Public Historian, U.S. Social Security Administration, and coauthor with Edward D. Berkowitz and Daniel Beland of Social Security: A Documentary History.

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