Judy C. Polyne
Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Administration


DatePublication/Paper
2004

Brock, T., Kwakye, I., Polyné, J.C., Richburg-Hayes, L., Seith, D., Stepick, A… & Rich, S. 2004. Welfare Reform in Miami: Implementation, Effects, and Experiences of Poor Families and Neighborhoods. MDRC.
View report | MDRC
Abstract

The 1996 national welfare reform law introduced a five-year time limit on federally funded cash assistance, imposed tough new work requirements, restricted benefits for noncitizens, and gave states more flexibility to design their welfare programs than in the past. Anticipating that the law might pose particular challenges for urban areas — where poverty and welfare receipt are concentrated — MDRC launched a study to examine its implementation and effects in four big cities. This report focuses on trends in Miami-Dade County between 1996 and 2002.
2003

Michalopoulos, C., Edin, K., Fink, B., Iandriscina, M., Polit, D., Polyne, J..& Verma, N. 2003. Welfare Reform in Philadelphia: Implementation, Effects, and Experiences of Poor Families and Neighborhoods. MDRC.
View report | MDRC
Abstract

The 1996 welfare reform law called for profound changes in welfare policy, including a five-year time limit on federally funded cash assistance (known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF), stricter work requirements, and greater flexibility for states in designing and managing programs. The law's supporters hoped that it would spark innovation and reduce welfare use; critics feared that it would lead to cuts in benefits and to widespread suffering. Whether the reform succeeds or fails depends largely on what happens in big cities, where poverty and welfare receipt are most concentrated. This report - one of a series from MDRC's Project on Devolution and Urban Change - examines the specific ways in which reform unfolded in Philadelphia. The study uses field research, state records, surveys and ethnographic interviews of welfare recipients, and indicators of social and economic trends to assess TANF's implementation and effects. Because of the strong economy and ample funding for services in the late 1990s, the study captures welfare reform in the best of times but focuses on the poorest families and neighborhoods.











Contact Details

jcp7@nyu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment only
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Areas of Expertise

  • Education
  • Evaluation
  • Health Management
  • Health Policy
  • Public & Nonprofit Orgs.
  • Race, Class, & Diversity