This paper reviews a work by Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward, entitled “Regulating the Poor: The Functions of Public Welfare.”
The paper reviews the book, which deals with the public welfare system in the United States, and with the shortcomings of the system. The history of relief programs for the poor is traced and the issue of government attempts to keep people off the roles is discussed. The matter of regulation of welfare is raised and the paper concludes with the writer’s personal evaluation of the book.
Essentially, this book is an interesting and detailed account of the public welfare system in the United States, and why the system does not work. One of the revisions in this update of the original 1971 edition is the reeling in of welfare programs in the U.S., something they predicted in the earlier edition. Using extensive references, footnotes, and a multitude of research, the authors paint a compelling view of public support in this volume, along with a detailed history of public assistance.