Segal's SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS, 4th Edition enables students to identify, describe, and analyze social welfare policies--but that's not all. This thought-provoking book also draws readers into an examination of the values and beliefs that drive our social welfare system. Segal demonstrates how the myriad values of diverse groups in America have influenced current policies, and helps students recognize that analysis takes place through the lens of these often opposing values. Students also learn how these policy insights can be applied to influence the policy-making process. The dual themes of critical thinking and critical evaluation provide the framework of the book, and Segal's inclusion of international perspectives on values around social welfare policies and social programs heightens students' awareness of the global implications of social work around the world.

Part I: UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL WELFARE.
1. Social Welfare Policy and Underlying Values.
2. Historical Foundations of Social Welfare in America.
3. Conceptual Foundations of Social Welfare Policy.
4. Analyzing and Researching Social Welfare Policies.
5. The Delivery of Social Welfare Services.
Part II: CRITICAL CONCERNS THAT AFFECT ALL ARENAS OF SOCIAL WELFARE.
6. Social Justice and Civil Rights.
7. Poverty and Economic Inequality.
8. Economics, Employment, Budgets, and Taxes.
Part III: KEY SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS.
9. Social Insurance.
10. Aging and Social Welfare Policy.
11. Children and Families.
12. Health Care Policy.
Part IV: BUILDING ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS.
13. United States Social Welfare Policies and International Comparisons.
14. Policy Practice and the Impact of Social Welfare Policies.

Segal's SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS, 4th Edition enables students to identify, describe, and analyze social welfare policies--but that's not all. This thought-provoking book also draws readers into an examination of the values and beliefs that drive our social welfare system. Segal demonstrates how the myriad values of diverse groups in America have influenced current policies, and helps students recognize that analysis takes place through the lens of these often opposing values. Students also learn how these policy insights can be applied to influence the policy-making process. The dual themes of critical thinking and critical evaluation provide the framework of the book, and Segal's inclusion of international perspectives on values around social welfare policies and social programs heightens students' awareness of the global implications of social work around the world. This edition includes a full update on the Affordable Care Act, tracing its evolution through the legislative and judicial systems as well as its impact on health care delivery. New policy developments on immigration, such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, are discussed. Chapter 4, "Analyzing and Researching Social Welfare Policies," includes a new example that further illustrates the critical theory policy analysis model. The concept of the "submerged state" in relation to government services is presented and explained in Chapter 5, "The Delivery of Social Welfare Services." This concept helps students better understand the extensiveness of government social welfare efforts as well as why people often are unaware of them. Major Supreme Court decisions on immigration, health care, and same-sex marriage are presented and explained. Data on major social welfare programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP are updated. Chapter 7 presents updated poverty data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and Chapter 8 discusses the impact of the Great Recession and the policies passed to address the economic downturn. New concepts such as "procedural justice" and the "multiplier effect" are introduced to broaden students' understanding of the development of social welfare policies and programs. Skills and resources needed to conduct policy analysis are introduced in the early chapters of the book. This helps students to more easily navigate the policy discussions on arenas of critical concern as well as key social welfare policies and programs in the rest of the chapters. Segal also includes guidance for influencing the policy arena.