Basic Policy Elements

The last reading and writing assignment laid the foundation for this present assignment by providing the tools required to perform a practical analysis of a public policy. This present assignment calls for you to use those tools to perform an analysis of the essential provisions of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Your task is to describe the background of the “welfare” issue, the basic national values that create the need for this (welfare) policy, the winners and the losers etc. Then, methodically apply the steps in the Chambers model to determine the adequacy, equity and efficiency of related TANF policy. In order to render judgments about adequacy, efficiency and equity, you should: Identify the basic policy elements (goals and objectives; forms of benefits etc.), sub-types or sub-elements (long vs. short term etc.; personal counseling, cash benefits, subsidies etc.) Identify the basic evaluation criteria you are using to evaluate the policy (Fit between goals and underlying purposes and values; clarity of goals etc.; stigmatization, target efficiency, cost-effectiveness of the form of benefits etc.) Although this policy provides a block grant to the several states and allows discretion in the way that its basic provisions are carried out, you may restrict your analysis to the basic provisions of TANF: assisting needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes reducing the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancies encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families One good source of information on TANF is provided by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Organize this assignment as you see fit but consider using the same table form that Chambers uses to identify policy elements sub-elements and evaluation criteria that lead you to your evaluation which you may do by adding a column to the table or adding additional narrative. I am not looking for an exhaustive analysis of this policy. While you should try to identify all of the basic policy elements (goals, form of benefits, eligibility rules, service delivery organization and financing), identifying just one or two sub-types and evaluative criteria, that is, enough to support your preliminary conclusions, will be sufficient. It is important to note that all of the elements of a policy should work together to accomplish the goals of the policy. Thus, a “challenge” to the adequacy of the policy (the ability of the policy to meet the goals of the policy) may reside in the form of benefits or in the organization of service delivery or financing etc. PAGE LENGTH- 4-5 pages.