Welfare Policymaking in the States; The Devil on Devolution.

Examines how the welfare policymaking process has changed and probes the nature of state welfare politics under devolution, contrasting it with welfare politics on the national level. Analyzes the influence of interest groups and other key actors in the legislative process at both the state and national levels. Also compares the legislative process during the 104th Congress (1995-1996) with that in three states--Maryland, Texas, and North Dakota--finding that the state debates involved a more limited range of participants, with fewer of them representing poor people, and fewer competing ideas.