Social Policy


"Getting the Big Picture": A Synopsis and Critique of Australian Out-of-Home Care

AIFS

A 40-page Australian report reviewing research into out-of-home care for children and young people

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2007-10-18

Youth Mentoring

AHURI

This 52-page Australian report considers national and international evidence on the value for investment and identifies evidence regarding the social and economic benefits for youth of quality one-to-one relationship based mentoring

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-12-02

Young Carers: Social Policy Impacts of the Caring Responsibilities of Children and Young Adults

SPRC

A 134-page theoretically-informed and policy-focused quantitative and qualitative study on young carers in Australia

Social Policy, Families, Children & YouthPosted: 2011-12-19

Working in Disadvantaged Communities: What Additional Competencies do we Need?

Australia and New Zealand Health Policy

The purpose of this 17-page study was to develop a generic workforce needs assessment tool and to use it to identify the competencies needed by the public health workforce to work effectively in disadvantaged communities

Health, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-04-24

Working Dads: Final Report on the Fathers at Work Initiative

Public/Private Ventures

This 65-page US report presents findings from an evaluation of Fathers at Work, a national demonstration designed to help low-income noncustodial fathers increase their employment and earnings, become more involved in their children's lives, and provide them with more consistent financial support

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-10-14

Workforce or Workfare?

CESifo

This working paper explores the use of workfare as part of an optimal tax mix when labor supply responses are along the extensive margin

Social Policy, Employment, Industrial Relations & Training Posted: 2011-06-10

Workforce Development as an Anti-Poverty Strategy

Urban Instiute

This 41-page US paper examines the cost-effectiveness of funded workforce development programmes

Poverty & Hunger, Social PolicyPosted: 2008-11-04

Work-Poor Households: The Welfare Implications of Changing Household Employment Patterns

Economic and Social Research Institute

A 7-page executive summary of this study (purchasable in full) of how the situation of "work-poor" households in Ireland was affected by the rapid economic growth of the 1990s

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2004-03-23

Work for the Dole: Obligation or Opportunity?

Committee for Economic Development of Australia

A 7-page examination of the effectiveness of Australia

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2004-01-29

Work for the Dole: A success in spite of practically everything

Centre for Applied Economic Research, University of NSW

This 9-page paper examines Australia's Work for the Dole program and defends it, while offering improvements

Social Policy, Employment, Industrial Relations & Training Posted: 2004-02-11

Women's Age at First Marriage and Marital Instability: Evidence from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth

IZA

An 18-page discussion paper examining the implications of women's delayed entry to marriage for marital stability

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-09-29

Wising Up: How Government Can Partner with Business to Increase Skills and Advance Low-Wage Workers

Center for Law and Social Policy

This 47-page report examines 5 US training partnerships between government and business designed to train workers and encourage the creation and retention of good jobs

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2006-05-03

Why We Must Reform the Disability Support Pension

Centre For Independent Studies

This 8-page paper argues that the Australian Disability Support Pension scheme is widely abused, encourages unemployment and reduces benefits to the truly disabled

Social Policy, DisabilityPosted: 2004-04-06

Why So Much Opposition to Social Policy Change in Quebec?

Canadian Policy Research Networks

This 2-page commentary explains the degree of resistance to social policy change in Quebec as being due, in part, to its being seen as an attack on Quebec's separate identity

Social Policy, Governance & PoliticsPosted: 2004-02-21

Why is There a Spike in the Job Finding Rate at Benefit Exhaustion?.

CentER

This 41-page Dutch discussion paper examines the reasons for a spike in the job-finding rate when unemployment benefits end

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2010-02-01

Why Are Youth From Lower-Income Families Less Likely to Attend University?

Statistics Canada

This 38-page Canadian paper uses data on academic abilities, parental influences, financial constraints and other characteristics to try to account for the large gap in university attendance across the income distribution

Education, Social PolicyPosted: 2007-03-05

Why Are Fertility and Women's Employment Rates So Low in Italy? Lessons from France and the U.K.

Institute for the Study of Labor

A 41-page discussion paper examining the relationship between women's employment and fertility in Mediterranean countries

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2004-08-31

Who Can Deliver Sustainable Development?

Foreign Policy Centre

This 4-page UK policy brief examines the problems of economic growth and social stagnation in Latin America

International Development, Social PolicyPosted: 2006-04-14

When Work Doesn't Pay: What Every Policymaker Should Know

National Center for Children in Poverty

This 8-page US report highlights ways in which the current US structure of work support policies often leads to unintended consequences

Social Policy, Poverty & HungerPosted: 2006-06-23

What's Fair? Ethical Decision-making in an aging society

Canadian Policy Research Networks and The Change Foundation

A 65-page Canadian report proposing a new framework for policies that involve sharing scarce resources across generations

Ageing, Social PolicyPosted: 2004-05-24

What Works in Community Involvement in Area-Based Initiatives? A Systematic Review of the Literature

U.K. Home Office

This 90-page U.K. literature review assesses research evidence on the effectiveness of community involvement in Area Based Initiatives

Social PolicyPosted: 2004-10-19

What Mean Impacts Miss: Distributional Effects of Welfare Reform Experiments

Institute for the Study of Labor

A 49-page discussion paper investigating the importance of heterogeneity in welfare reform research

Social PolicyPosted: 2005-09-06

What is Behind Stagnant Unemployment in Ukraine? The Role of the Informal Sector

Institute for the Study of Labor

This 47-page discussion paper presents evidence on the determinants of unemployment duration in Ukraine and the roles of benefit receipts and the informal sector

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2005-09-12

What Future for Social Investment?

Institute for Futures Studies

This 196-page Swedish report assesses the diversity feasibility, but also the relevance of the social investment strategy in Europe

Social PolicyPosted: 2009-10-30

What Evidence Should Social Policymakers Use?

Treasury - Australia

This 18-page Australiian paper proposes a hierarchy of research methods that can help policymakers sort through a daunting body of research, and may also inform governments' decisions on how to evaluate social policy interventions

Social Policy, Governance & PoliticsPosted: 2009-03-12

What do "I Do's" Do? Potential Benefits of Marriage for Cohabiting Couples With Children

Urban Institute

An 8-page U.S. study quantifying the benefits of marriage, as compared to cohabitation, for families with children

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2004-05-26

What Did All the Money Do?

IZA

This 41-page discussion paper reports on the ineffectiveness of recent German labour market programmes

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2007-06-03

What are Low-ability Workers to do When Unskilled Jobs Disappear?

CIS

A 19-page Australian issue paper examining the employment prospects of low-ability workers

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2008-01-21

Well-being 2030 - A New Vision for 'Social Europe'

EPC

This 25-page paper presents the key recommendations of a research project aimed to articulate a strategic vision for the long term development of social policy in Europe

Social Policy, European UnionPosted: 2011-08-11

Welfare-to-Work, Wages and Growth

Institute for the Study of Labor

This 38-page paper examines the effect of a U.K. welfare-to-work programme on wages and wage growth

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2004-05-12

Welfare Payments and School Attendance: An Analysis of Experimental Policy in Indigenous Education

Australian Education Union

This 36-page Australian paper sets out the concept of mutual obligation in Australia and its application to indigenous policy

Indigenous Affairs, Social PolicyPosted: 2008-08-18

Welfare Migration in Europe and the Cost of a Harmonized Social Assistance

Institute for the Study of Labor

A 40-page discussion paper exploring the issue of welfare migration across the EU and estimating the costs and benefits of a harmonization of welfare in the Union

European Union, Social PolicyPosted: 2006-04-24

Welfare and the Labour Market in the E.U.

European Network of Economic Policy Research Institutes

A 22-page occasional paper providing an overview of labour market policies within the E.U. to protect individuals from unemployment

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2004-10-07

Welfare and Employment: A European Dilemma?

IZA

A 36-page discussion paper examining the comprehensive welfare and labor market reforms undertaken by most of the EU member states in the years since the 1990s

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2008-12-15

We Dream A World: The 2025 Vision for Black Men and Boys

CLASP

This 60-page US report identifies concrete policy solutions to close educational achievement gaps, ensure workforce success, reduce health disparities, improve conditions for low-income fathers and improve the overall well being of black men, their families, and communities

Social Policy, Immigration & RefugeesPosted: 2011-01-28

Wage Effects of Non-Wage Labour Costs

IZA

This 43-page discussion paper studies short- and long-term wage effects of two important elements of non-wage labour costs: firing costs and payroll taxes

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2010-04-27

Volunteer Work and Aging: A Comparative Study among American, Brazilian, and Japanese Seniors

IDE

A 113-page Japanese report assessing meanings, motivations, perceived benefits, subjective well-being, psychological adjustment and attitudes towards community among American, Brazilian and Japanese seniors who do voluntary work

Ageing, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-05-15

Views of Children and Young People in Alternative Care in Queensland

CCYPCG

Three Australian reports documenting the views of children and young people in alternative care in Queensland (single page linking to each report)

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2008-08-07

Views & Visions of Coexistence in South Africa

ACCORD, Coexistence Initiative

A 115-page South African study that invited participants to explain and discuss how they had moved from conflict to coexistence and how they established and sustained their mode of coexisting with one another.

Disarmament & Peacekeeping, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-02-19

Veiled Meaning: The French Law Banning Religious Symbols in Public Schools

Brookings Institution

A 6-page paper setting out the French perspective on the new law banning the wearing of blatant religious symbols in French public schools

Social PolicyPosted: 2004-04-05

Vacancy Referrals, Job Search, and the Duration of Unemployment: A Randomized Experiment

IZA

A 28-page discussion paper reporting results from a randomized Swedish experiment where the outcome of vacancy referrals to the unemployed is examined

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2009-02-25

Unpaid and Paid Care: The Effects of Child Care and Elder Care on the Standard of Living

Levy Institute

This 25-page US working paper highlights the benefits of social care investment

Social Policy, AgeingPosted: 2011-10-13

Unlocking Potential, Transforming Lives: An Evaluation of Crisis SmartSkills, a Personalised Accredited Learning Programme

Crisis

This 58-page UK publication explores the difference that personalised learning alongside access to accommodation made to the lives of people with experience of homelessness

Housing, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-11-13

Unintended Effects of a Family-Friendly Law in a Segmented Labor Market

IZA

This 44-page discussion paper examines the unintended effects of a family-friendly law in a segmented labour market

Social Policy, Employment, Industrial Relations & Training Posted: 2011-05-26

Unequal Welfare States: Distributive Consequences of Population Ageing in Six European Countries

Social and Cultural Planning Office of the Netherlands

A 192-page study examining the possible distributive consequences of population ageing in relation to the different welfare state types found in the European Union

Social Policy, AgeingPosted: 2004-11-04

Understanding the Labour Market for Older Workers

IEA

This 25-page UK discussion paper examines retirement practice overseas in studying why retirement is so abrupt in the UK

Ageing, Social PolicyPosted: 2008-12-16

Understanding the Economic Consequences of Shifting Trends in Population Health

IZA

Using a microsimulation approach, thid discussion paper quantifies the competing public-finance consequences of shifting trends in population health for medical care costs, labor supply, earnings, wealth, tax revenues, and government expenditures (including Social Security and income assistance)

Health, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-09-09

Understanding Life Satisfaction and the Education Puzzle

NATSEM

This 31-page Australian paper estimates the partial effect of educational achievement on different life satisfactions in Australia and how this differs by age group

Education, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-09-12

Understanding Diverse Neighbourhoods in an Era of Demographic Change

Urban Institute

This 46-page US paper develops a new set of neighbourhood typologies using categories that reflect important differences in income as well as the extent of racial and ethnic diversity

Social Policy, Urban IssuesPosted: 2006-08-31

Understanding Chinese Society

FPRI

A 3-page US essay on the nature of Chinese society

Social Policy, Governance & PoliticsPosted: 2011-04-12

Twenty Million Future Funds

Centre for Independent Studies

A 16-page Australian issue analysis proposing a redistribution of the government's social security fund to provide all citizens with a personal security fund

Social PolicyPosted: 2006-01-11

Turning Welfare into a Work Support: Six-Year Impacts on Parents and Children from the Minnesota Family Investment Program

MDRC

A 162-page assessment of the outcomes of a U.S. program designed to encourage work, reduce reliance on public assistance and reduce poverty

Social PolicyPosted: 2005-08-10

Turning Unemployment into Self-Employment: Effectiveness and Efficiency of Two Start-Up Programmes

IZA

This 38-page discussion paper examines the effectiveness and efficiency of two German self-employment start-up programmes for the unemployed

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2007-03-16

Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration

The Joyce Foundation, MDRC

A 20-page US report describing testing strategies to help former prisoners find and keep jobs and stay out of prison

Crime, Law & Order, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-08-04

Tramsformative Social Protection

Institute of Development Studies

A 36-page working paper calling for a radical re-definition and new approach to social protection

Social Policy, International DevelopmentPosted: 2004-10-29

Training the Unemployed in France

IZA

A 42-page discussion paper examining the impact of public-sponsored training programmes on transition rates out of unemployment

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2007-12-27

Tradeoffs Between Equality and Difference: The Crisis of Dutch Multiculturalism in Cross-Channel Perspective

DIIS

This 10-page Danish brief examines the outcomes of Dutch integration policies in a cross-national European perspective

Immigration & Refugees, Social PolicyPosted: 2006-12-07

Towards Productive Welfare? A Comparative Analysis of 23 OECD Countries

SPRC

This 30-page paper explores the possibility of developing a classification of welfare state types that incorporate both productive and protective elements of social policy

Social PolicyPosted: 2007-08-31

Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage: Deprivation and Social Exclusion

SPRC

This 122-page study advocates a broader approach to the measurement of disadvantage

Poverty & Hunger, Social PolicyPosted: 2007-11-23

Toward Squaring the Circle

Institute for Research on Public Policy

A 28-page Canadian paper examining the work-life balance and its implications for individuals, firms and public policy

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2006-07-01

Toward Results-Based Social Policy Design and Implementation

CGD

This 42-page US paper shows how Mexico has improved the evidence base for public policy in a number of ways

International Development, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-04-20

Too Young to Leave the Nest? The Effects of School Starting Age

IZA

A 59-page discussion paper examining the role of school starting age on long-term outcomes

Education, Social PolicyPosted: 2008-04-24

Time Series of APW Calculations

Danish National Institute of Social Research

These modules provide a consistent series of impacts on the in-work income of specific family types from different social events such as sickness, unemployment, disability and retirement. Page links to modules for Denmark, Sweden and Finland

Social PolicyPosted: 2004-10-01

Third Sector in Partnership Arrangements: Navigating New Waters or Treading Water?

Hawke Institute

This Australian paper examines the true nature of so-called 'partnerships' created between government and the third sector to address social problems

Social PolicyPosted: 2006-12-11

The Welfare State, Thresholds, and Economic Growth

German Institute for Economic Research

This 56-page discussion paper examines the relationship between growing welfare states and economic growth rates

Economic Policy, Social PolicyPosted: 2004-06-18

The Welfare Enigma: Explaining the Dramatic Decline in Canadians' Use of Social Assistance 1993-2005

C.D. Howe Institute

A 32-page study analyzing the factors responsible for the decline in social assistance use in Canada

Social PolicyPosted: 2008-06-20

The War Between the State and the Family

IEA

An 84-page economic analysis of the effects of UK family policy

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2007-04-19

The Wage-penalty Effect: The Hidden Cost of Maternity Leave

TAI

A 25-page Australian report confirming the findings of overseas research demonstrating that incomes grow less quickly among women returning to the workforce

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2011-08-26

The Value of Social Care Professionals Working in Extended Schools

NFER

This 75-page UK research explores the impact of social care professionals working within the multi-disciplinary environment of an extended school

Social Policy, EducationPosted: 2008-06-11

The Use of Child Support Money in Meeting Housing Costs

School of Sociology and Social Work

This 7-page Australian paper explores how - and indeed, if - child support money is a useful resource in meeting the housing needs of the children of separated parents and the resident parent who receives the payments

Social PolicyPosted: 2009-07-14

The Transition from Work to Retirement

IZA

This 25-page discussion paper shows the dynamic interaction between policy changes, in particular in benefit systems and activation, and changes in the approach of firms and workers to early retirement

Ageing, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-03-02

The Transition from Welfare to Work and the Role of Potential Labor Income

Institute for the Study of Labor

A 35-page discussion paper examining the influence of the ratio between estimated potential income and the welfare payment level in Germany on the probability of leaving welfare

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2004-12-10

The Threat of Monitoring Job Search: A Discontinuity Design

IZA

A 40-page discussion paper on the effects of monitoring the job search effort of long-term unemployed benefit claimants

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2010-12-03

The Territory as Parent: Review of the Safety of Children in Care in the ACT and of ACT Child Protection Management

ACT Government

This 236-page Australian report follows an investigation into all aspects of child protection in the ACT

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2004-05-28

The State of Society: Measuring Economic Success and Human Well-Being

Urban Institute

This 94-page US study identifies 14 categories measuring national well-being that go beyond gross domestic product’s snapshot of how a society and its economy are faring. It proposes that new measures assess the well-being of all segments of society—women, children, the elderly, and racial and other minorities

Social Policy, Economic PolicyPosted: 2010-06-03

The State of Social Care in England 2004-05

Commission for Social Care Inspection - UK

A 127-page report on the state of social care services in England (single page linking to all sections)

Social Policy, Poverty & HungerPosted: 2005-12-13

The Stability of Mixed Income Neighbourhoods in America

IZA

This 61-page discussion paper sketches out the empirical implications of slow transition towards mixed income neighbourhoods in the US

Urban Issues, Social PolicyPosted: 2008-03-11

The Social Benefits and Economic Costs of Taxation

CCPA

A 55-page Canadian study comparing the social benefits and economic costs of taxation in high- and low-tax countries

Social PolicyPosted: 2006-12-23

The Skid Row Collaborative 2003-2007: Process Evaluation

Urban Institute

This 28-page US report examines a homelessness project that moved chronically homeless disabled people into housing and helped them with health, mental health, substance abuse and other supportive services

Housing, Social PolicyPosted: 2007-09-22

The Science of Prevention for Children and Youth

Australian Review of Public Affairs

This 15-page Australian paper documents the potential of prevention and argues for prevention science as a framework for advancing a coherent, evidence-based approach to address the problems of Australian children and youth

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-08-23

The Scandinavian Model: Prospects and Challenges

CESifo

This 35-page paper discusses how current challenges affect the need and scope for reforms to the Scandinavian welfare model

Social PolicyPosted: 2007-03-22

The Safety and Wellbeing of Children in Families with Multiple and Complex Problems

AIFS

This 24-page Australian paper presents evidence regarding the extent to which parental substance misuse, domestic violence and parental mental health problems co-occur and discusses the wider context of exclusion and disadvantage.

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2010-12-15

The Role of Vocational Education and Training in Welfare to Work

NCVER

This 42-page Australian report investigates the role that VET can play in the transition from welfare to work

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2008-05-14

The Role of Ombudsmen in Assuring Quality

NHPF

This US background paper discusses the role of long-term care ombudsmen and highlights selected issues regarding the capacity of the program to promote quality care and advance the rights of residents

Ageing, Social PolicyPosted: 2010-01-14

The Relative Efficiency of Active Labour Market Policies

IZA

This 36-page discussion paper re-analyzes the effects of a Danish active labour market program social experiment that included a range of sub-treatments, including monitoring, job search assistance and training

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2011-04-12

The Relationship Between Crime and Gaming Expenditure in Victoria

Department of Justice

This 83-page study investigates the relationship between gaming expenditure and crime in Victoria, Australia, especially income-generating crimes

Crime, Law & Order, Social PolicyPosted: 2010-07-21

The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development

United Nations

This 236-page edition of the Human Development Report celebrates the contributions of the human development approach to improve people’s well-being

Social Policy, International DevelopmentPosted: 2010-11-09

The Prevalance and Heterogeneity of At-Risk and Pathological Gamblers: The Danish Case

SFI

A 22-page Danish working paper showing the prevalence of at-risk, problem and pathological gamblers among adult Danes

Social PolicyPosted: 2007-01-10

The Power of Jurisdiction in Promoting Social Policies in Smaller States

UNRISD

This 40-page paper argues that a stronger appreciation of strategic issues, institutional practices, legal features, regulatory capacities and behavioural response mechanisms would help in understanding why some small states succeed while others do not

Social Policy, International DevelopmentPosted: 2011-04-01

The Political Economy of Intergenerational Income Mobility

IZA

This 46-page discussion paper seeks to identify the structural parameters that govern the intergenerational elasticity of income

Families, Children & Youth, Social PolicyPosted: 2010-03-10

The Persistence of Welfare Participation

IZA

A 35-page discussion paper examining the persistence of welfare participation in Sweden among Swedish-born and foreign-born households

Social Policy, Employment, Industrial Relations & Training Posted: 2007-10-31

The Path to a High Performance U.S. Health System: A 2020 Vision and the Policies to Pave the Way

Commonwealth Fund

This 122-page US report offers recommendations for a comprehensive set of insurance, payment, and system reforms that could guarantee affordable coverage for all by 2012, improve health outcomes, and slow health spending growth by $3 trillion by 2020—if enacted now to start in 2010

Health, Social PolicyPosted: 2009-09-14

The Pains of Privatization: How Contracting Out Hurts Health Support Workers, Their Families, and Health Care

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

A 53-page Canadian report criticising the privatization of health services in British Columbia

Health, Social PolicyPosted: 2005-05-04

The Outcomes of 1996 Welfare Reforms

Brookings Institution

A 12-page US House testimony assessing the outcomes of the welfare reforms of 1996

Social Policy, Poverty & HungerPosted: 2006-07-25

The Nordic Welfare Model in a European Perspective

IFS

A 40-page Swedish working paper analysing central dimensions of Nordic social assistance, such as the generosity, scope and effectiveness of benefits

Social Policy, European UnionPosted: 2010-10-07

The New Identity Politics 2007

IPPR

A 19-page UK working paper aiming to map the broad parameters of the current debate about identity and public policy

Social PolicyPosted: 2007-02-26

The Neighbourhood Challenge

Nesta UK

A 42-page UK report examining how communities can lead meaningful change in their neighbourhoods

Urban Issues, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-09-21

The Major Roadblock to Muslim Assimilation in Europe

Brookings

An article on the difficulties involved in Muslim assimilation in Europe

European Union, Social PolicyPosted: 2011-08-22

The Long-Term Effects of Job Search Requirements: Evidence from the UK JSA Reform

IZA

This 52-page discussion paper investigates long-term returns from unemployment compensation, using variation from the UK JSA reform of 1996, which implied a major increase in job search requirements for eligibility and in the related administrative hurdle.

Employment, Industrial Relations & Training , Social PolicyPosted: 2008-12-04