This popular book provides a political perspective on social welfare to aid appreciation of the ideological context of contemporary social welfare programs. Written by two of the best-known authors in social work and social welfare, the Sixth Edition continues to examine the values, ethics, and knowledge needed by practioners of social worker. This book also explores the role of the contemporary social worker in social welfare programs and defines liberal, conservative, and radical positions. Strong, integrated coverage of the historical and political context of social welfare with definitions and comprehensive chapters on poverty cover theory, economics, and past and present anti-poverty programs to aid understanding of basic concepts and relate theory to practice. the latest edition includes new data from the National Opinion Research Corporation (NORC) and greater emphasis upon the belief that to understand social welfare one must understand the ideological positions that shape social welfare.