Family policy and political culture: An analysis of state -level legislation on public assistance

The study focuses on how values, beliefs, and ideology influence the policy formulation process. Specifically, the study addresses how policy was formulated by states following the 1996 federal welfare reform act. The framework utilized for this study is a state-level model of political culture by Daniel Elazar. The study analyzed the legislation on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families of a sample of 15 states. The study utilized the analytic techniques of correlation and analysis of variance with a post hoc series of Nests. The study found some significant differences in TANF decision making by type as well as significant associations with certain poverty indicators and population indices. The discussion focuses primarily on the role and influence of public opinion, political ideology, and the media on the policy formulation process. Recommendations for theory construction and further research as well as implications for policy were addressed