They Say Cutback, We Say Fight Back!: Welfare Activism in an Era of Retrenchment

Title Page, Copyright, Foundation Information, Rose Series Information, Previous Volumes, Forthcoming volumes

THEY SAY CUT BACK, WE SAY FIGHT BACK! THEY SAY CUT BACK, WE SAY FIGHT BACK! WELFARE ACTIVISM IN AN ERA OF RETRENCHMENT ELLEN REESE Russell Sage Foundation • New York A Volume in the American Sociological Association’s Rose Series in Sociology Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Reese, Ellen, 1969– They say cut back, we say fight back! : welfare activism in an era of retrenchment / Ellen Reese. p. cm. — (American Sociological Association’s Rose series in sociology) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-87154-714-9 (hbk. : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-61044-748-5 (ebook : alk. paper) 1. Public welfare—United States. 2. Public welfare—United States— Citizen participation. I. Title. HV95.R425 2011 361.60973—dc23 2011022409 Copyright © 2011 by the American Sociological Association. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Reproduction by the United States Government in whole or in part is permitted for any purpose. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. ANSI Z39.48-1992. Text design by Suzanne Nichols. RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION 112 East 64th Street, New York, New York 10065 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The Russell Sage Foundation The Russell Sage Foundation, one of the oldest of America’s general purpose foundations, was established in 1907 by Mrs. Margaret Olivia Sage for “the improvement of social and living conditions in the United States.” The Foundation seeks to fulfill this mandate by fostering the development and dissemination of knowledge about the country’s political, social, and economic problems. While the Foundation endeavors to assure the accuracy and objectivity of each book it publishes, the conclusions and interpretations in Russell Sage Foundation publications are those of the authors and not of the Foundation, its Trustees, or its staff. Publication by Russell Sage, therefore, does not imply Foundation endorsement. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Mary C. Waters, Chair Kenneth D. Brody Kathleen Hall Jamieson Shelley E. Taylor W. Bowman Cutter III Lawrence F. Katz Richard H. Thaler Robert E. Denham, Esq. Sara S. McLanahan Eric Wanner John A. Ferejohn Nancy L. Rosenblum Larry V. Hedges Claude M. Steele EDITORS OF THE ROSE SERIES IN SOCIOLOGY Diane Barthel-Bouchier Daniel Levy Michael Schwartz Cynthia J. Bogard Timothy P. Moran Gilda Zwerman Michael Kimmel Naomi Rosenthal THE ROSE SERIES IN SOCIOLOGY EDITORIAL BOARD Margaret Abraham Javier Auyero David Brady Lynn Sharon Chancer Mary Ann Clawson Yinon Cohen Maxine Leeds Craig Christian Davenport Nina Eliasoph Cynthia Fuchs Epstein Kathryn Feltey Abby L. Ferber Judith Gerson Kathleen Gerson Jack A. Goldstone Jeremy Hein Philip Kasinitz Jeffrey D. Kentor Rebecca E. Klatch Richard Lachmann David E. Lavin Mary Clare Lennon Pamela E. Oliver Patricia A. Roos Gay W. Seidman Hwa-Ji Shin Lynette Spillman Verta A. Taylor Reeve Vanneman Richard Williams Previous Volumes in the Series American Memories: Atrocities and the Law Joachim J. Savelsberg and Ryan D. King America’s Newcomers and the Dynamics of Diversity Frank D. Bean and Gillian Stevens Beyond the Boycott: Labor Rights, Human Rights, and Transnational Activism Gay W. Seidman Beyond College for All: Career Paths for the Forgotten Half James E. Rosenbaum Changing Rhythms of the American Family Suzanne M. Bianchi, John Robinson, and Melissa Milkie Counted Out: Same-Sex Relations and Americans’ Definitions of Family Brian Powell, Lala Carr Steelman, Catherine Bolzendahl, and Claudia Giest Divergent Social Worlds: Neighborhood Crime and the Racial-Spatial Divide Ruth D. Peterson and Lauren J. Krivo Egalitarian Capitalism: Jobs, Incomes, and Growth in Affluent Countries Lane Kenworthy Ethnic Origins: History, Politics, Culture, and the Adaptation of Cambodian and Hmong Refugees in Four American Cities Jeremy Hein Good Jobs, Bad Jobs: The Rise of Polarized and Precarious Employment Systems in the United States, 1970s to 2000s Arne L. Kalleberg Making Hate a Crime: From Social Movement to Law Enforcement Valerie Jenness and Ryken Grattet Market Friendly or Family Friendly? The State and Gender Inequality in Old Age Madonna Harrington Meyer and Pamela Herd Passing the...