This handbook provides a survey of the American welfare state. It offers an historical overview of U.S. social policy from the colonial era to the present, a discussion of available theoretical perspectives on it, an analysis of social programs, and on overview of the U.S. welfare state's consequences for poverty, inequality, and citizenship. This volume offers a trenchant, sweeping understanding of the history and current pulse of American social welfare policy. Bringing together some of the most creative and respected experts in the field, the collection is impressive...Highly Recommended"