Acknowledged as the most comprehensive, easy-to-read introduction to social welfare policy available, Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy, 8/e, emphasizes the current political aspects of policy making and major social welfare programs, including public assistance, Social Security, disability, health insurance, child welfare, and much more. Social Welfare does more than describe the major social welfare policies and programs; it also tackles the conflict and controversies involved in the processes and outcomes of policy making. It contrasts rational and political approaches to policy making, policy analysis, policy implementation, and policy evaluation. The authors present conflicting perspectives, encouraging students to think critically, to debate, and to consider their own views on issues. The Enhanced Pearson eText features video links and embedded assessments.

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Diana DiNitto is Cullen Trust Centennial Professor in Alcohol Studies and Education and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin where she teaches courses in social welfare policy, alcohol and drug problems, research, and pedagogy. She has a MSW degree and a Ph.D. in government from Florida State University. She has worked in detoxification, halfway house, and outpatient chemical dependency treatment programs. She is also coauthor of Chemical Dependency: A Systems Approach, Fourth Edition (Allyn & Bacon, 2012) and Social Work: Issues and Opportunities in a Challenging Profession, Third Edition (Lyceum Books, 2008). Her research is on substance abuse, violence against women, and social welfare policy. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and serves as a member of its Social Work Grand Challenges Executive Committee. Dr. DiNitto has served on the boards of the Council and Social Work Education, the Association for Medical Education and Research on Substance Abuse, and the Texas Research Society on Alcoholism. She has been a visiting professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Sydney (Australia), and Tallinn University (Estonia). She is an advocate for better-informed drug policies and often speaks on the subject.