TY - JOUR
T1 - Race and the local politics of punishment in the new world of welfare
AU - Fording, Richard C.
AU - Soss, Joe
AU - Schram, Sanford F.
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - To illuminate how race affects the usage of punitive tools in policy implementation settings, we analyze sanctions imposed for noncompliant client behavior under welfare reform. Drawing on a model of racial classification and policy choice, we test four hypotheses regarding client race, local context, and sanctioning. Based on longitudinal and cross-sectional multilevel analyses of individual-level administrative data, we find that race plays a significant role in shaping sanction implementation. Its effects, however, are highly contingent on client characteristics, local political contexts, and the degree to which state governments devolve policy control to local officials.
AB - To illuminate how race affects the usage of punitive tools in policy implementation settings, we analyze sanctions imposed for noncompliant client behavior under welfare reform. Drawing on a model of racial classification and policy choice, we test four hypotheses regarding client race, local context, and sanctioning. Based on longitudinal and cross-sectional multilevel analyses of individual-level administrative data, we find that race plays a significant role in shaping sanction implementation. Its effects, however, are highly contingent on client characteristics, local political contexts, and the degree to which state governments devolve policy control to local officials.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79955422739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79955422739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/657525
DO - 10.1086/657525
M3 - Article
C2 - 21675307
AN - SCOPUS:79955422739
SN - 0002-9602
VL - 116
SP - 1610
EP - 1657
JO - American Journal of Sociology
JF - American Journal of Sociology
IS - 5
ER -
