impact of racial diversity on state welfare policies

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act devolved much of the authority for welfare policymaking to the state governments. The goal was to promote variation in welfare policies in order to find the most effective way to keep low-income families in the work force and deter teenage pregnancy and family breakup. Without federal entitlement and federal oversight, black populations may be subject to more restrictive policies and may become the victims of welfare racism. This study examines variation in the generosity of state welfare policies and assesses the role of racism in welfare policy outcomes. This is done using a regression analysis that tests the relationship between the generosity of state welfare policies and state social, political and cultural characteristics. The analysis shows that one area of policy---personal requirements---subjects blacks to more restrictive rules but the overall generosity of welfare programs is most significantly affected by the professionalism of state bureaucrats.