Social Welfare

by Diana M. DiNitto and Thomas R Dye

Published 1 January 1987

This is a leading text in social welfare policy in departments of social work, political science, administration and government; it is also used in some sociology departments. Originally written with Thomas Dye, subsequent editions by Diana DiNitto have been acknowledged as the most comprehensive orientation to social welfare available. DiNitto focuses on the political aspects of policymaking; she describes the major social welfare programs, including public assistance, Social Security, disability, health insurance, and more. She also addresses racism, sexism, gay rights, and immigration in the context of social welfare policies and programs.

This new edition includes new and updated information on welfare reform (TANF), food stamps, managed care, disability, aging, the change from a budget deficit to a budget surplus, the latest figures on poverty, and the latest information on job training and employment.

A full range of supplements includes an Instructor's Manual/Test Bank and a Computerized Test Bank. Student supplements include an Online Study Guide.


For undergraduate courses in American Government.

This is the book that gets students to participate.

Living Democracy gets students to participate in learning, in the classroom, and in change. The book's young and energetic author team cares deeply about student learning and student engagement. Lead author Dan Shea founded the Center for Political Participation and his experiences working with students in the classroom and in the center inspired him to team up with co-authors Joanne Connor Green (Texas Christian University) and Christopher E. Smith (Michigan State) to write an American Government text that truly inspires students and helps them experience the impact of government in their daily lives. Everything about the book-the writing, design, examples, photos, activities, and every page of the text-is designed to get students to participate in their class and in American politics.

In a recent survey of American Government courses, 80% of instructors named student apathy-about the course material, about politics, about the prospect that government can do anything to enrich their lives-as the number one problem in their course. Written with the belief that introductory courses in American Government are critically important for our students-as well as for the long-term stability of the democratic process-Living Democracy is designed to help students draw connections between topics and to find a role for themselves in politics and government. The text's innovative approach to American government presents the dynamic nature of our country's democratic process more accurately than any other book currently on the market, while offering all of the material found in a comprehensive, traditionally organized government text within an active framework.


Politics in America

by Thomas R Dye

Published 1 December 1993
Politics in America utilizes Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics ("Who gets what, when, and how") as a framework for presenting a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system.Dye examines the struggle for power the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutional arena in a well- organized format and with lively and absorbing narrative. Feature boxes add an extra dimension to the study of American Politics by exploring timely issues, opinions, and cross-cultural comparison.

A brief text presenting conflicts and controversies surrounding social welfare policy.

This book is part of the Connecting Core Competencies Series. This series helps students understand and master CSWE's core competencies with a variety of pedagogy highlighted competency content and critical thinking questions for the competencies throughout.

Essentials of Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy (a briefer version of Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy, 7/e) introduces the major social welfare policies and programs in the United States and encourages readers to think about conflicts in social welfare today. It emphasizes the current political aspects of policymaking and major social welfare programs.

In this book, social welfare policy is portrayed as the ever-evolving result of public conflict over social problems, the resources Americans choose to allocate to those problems, the debate over whether these problems can best be solved through government, and the political choices involved in reaching even tentative consensus.

Teaching & Learning Experience

Improve Critical Thinking - Includes critical thinking questions in margins and end of chapter review questions that 'build' on each other. Explore Current Issues - Includes the most recent data on healthcare reform, the midterm elections, and public policy changes, and more. Apply CSWE Core Competencies - Integrates the 2008 CSWE EPAS throughout - highlights competencies and practice behaviors and includes expensive pedagogy. Support Instructors - An Instructor's Manual and Test Bank, Computerized Test Bank (MyTest), Blackboard Test Item File, and PowerPoint presentations are included in the outstanding supplements package.

Updated in a new 9th edition, Politics in America provides straightforward, descriptive coverage of American politics and government. Using the Harold Lasswell definition of politics Tom Dye employs this classic, and still resonant, interpretation as the lens through which he examines the foundations, institutions, behaviors, and policies of the American political system.


For courses in American Government.

With a focus on conflict and the struggle for power and a powerful supplements package, this textbook ignites students' interest in American politics.

This balanced and exceedingly readable text uses Harold Laswell's classic definition of politics-"Who gets what, when, and how"-as a framework for presenting a clear, concise, and stimulating introduction to the American political system. Updated with discussions of recent events in our country, well-known political scientist Tom Dye has written a lively and absorbing narrative examining the struggle for power: the participants, the stakes, the processes, and the institutions. An abundance of feature boxes explore timely issues and opinions, draw cross-cultural comparisons, promote critical thinking, and introduce important people.

Available in the following versions (to view all versions click here):

National Edition, 7e: (c)2007, 740 pages, cloth, 0-13-613220-0

Brief National Edition, 2e: (c)2007, 600 pages, paper, 0-13-240817-1

Texas Edition, 7e: (c)2007, 1024 pages, cloth, 0-13-239528-2

Texas Brief Edition, 2e: (c)2007, 824 pages, paper, 0-13-157760-3

California Edition, 7e: (c)2007, 1024 pages, cloth, 0-13-232084-3

California Brief Edition, 2e: (c)2007, 840 pages, paper, 0-13-613195-6

Basic Edition, 7e: (c)2007, 624 pages, paper, 0-13-613226-X