Welfare reform has been on the public agenda in the United States for at least the past 2 1/2 decades. By 1992, major initiatives were underway in several states. The Politics of Welfare Reform examines welfare reform in six states that represent the most substantial changes in public assistance in several decades: Wisconsin, California, Michigan, New Jersey, Maryland, and Ohio. The case studies focus on the factors that motivated welfare reform, the political process that led to the adoption of the reforms, the objectives sought by the reforms, and an assessment of the likelihood that the reforms would achieve their objectives. Introductory and concluding essays knit together national trends in welfare reform and summarize results of recent evaluations of various reform proposals. . Politics of Welfare Reform is the perfect volume for students and scholars in policy studies, public administration, political science, and public health.