Disciplining the Poor: Neoliberal Paternalism and the Persistent Power of Race (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

This is one of the game changer books. Incredibly well researched, quite academic and requires a careful read, but ends up being a bit repetitious (usually in ways that are helpful, though). Disciplining the Poor is another look at how systems of inequality and racism have defined the experience for African Americans in this country. When the federal government devolved responsibility for supports to the poor (AFCD) to the states (TANF) in 1996 under Clinton and the Republican Congress, the singular conclusion that we can draw is that restrictions tightened mostly in states that had high African American populations. That race was a predominating factor in making policy around welfare reform is inescapable and inexcusable.

While the opening chapters which recapitulate the history of welfare policy in the US are reasonably informative the rest of the book falls flat. The authors seem so dedicated to making the facts fit their narrative that what information that is presented is put forward only with the most carefully curated context possible. The section in the latter third of the book which details every corruption scandal of the last 20 years it particularly disingenuous.

Excellent insights from some of the best poverty scholars in the discipline. They offer a compelling critique of poverty management in the US and show how recent policy reforms are rooted in broader narratives of neoliberalism, paternalism, and racial bias. Their analysis of how structural heterogeneity exacerbates inequality along racial lines is particularly keen.

I read this for class, and am very glad I did so. It's very informative and interesting. If you care about welfare and both the politics behind it and real facts, get this book.