Page 37 - Supplemental Materials

146 Book Reviews (edited by Gregory T. Gundlach)

particularly germane are the market failure argument My overall reaction to this book, as was noted previously,
("Given that the United States has chosen a market-oriented is quite positive. Blank's use of existing research to present
economy, it has a responsibility to those who cannot survive her case on virtually every important topic in the welfare
in the market on their own" [p. 198]) and the economic reform debate makes this work an excellent resource for
rights argument ("Just as individuals have citizenship rights, public policy and marketing scholars interested in the lives
so they also may have economic rights ... the right of access of the welfare-dependent poor. Mainstream economic and
to education, to food, to medical care, to housing, and to social policy research is applied to every facet of their con-
employment" [p. 199]). Regardless, she notes that there is sumer lives, which gives the reader a vivid portrait of their
no research to support the belief that private charities are struggle to survive in a material world. Although other trea-
capable of replacing the predicted decrease in public dollars. tises on this topic may be more readable (e.g., Zucchino
On the contrary, many private organizations that provide 1997), few provide the depth and breadth of thinking inher-
services to the poor rely on federal and state dollars, and ent in It Takes a Nation.
they are likely to reduce their offerings in the face of signif- Consciously or unconsciously. Blank avoids the partisan
icant cutbacks by the govemment.
trap of condemning or glorifying the poor. Instead, her prose
Chapter 6 returns to the topic of targeted programs and describes them as human beings with the same basic needs
discusses four lessons that involve current reform efforts. and desires as the political elite or middle class. As citizens
Lesson One reiterates previous comments that future eco- of this wealthy developed nation, they have the right to a
nomic expansions are unlikely to improve the opportunities reasonable quality of consumer life.
available to the poor. Lessons Two and Four predict dra- Although Blank only gives brief notice to her interactions
matic reductions in cash assistance programs as entitlements with the poor, it is my belief that scholars who personally
during the current, as well as future, reform cycles. Lesson engage the poor are changed forever. My own experiences
Three posits that these future reforms will focus on limited with the homeless, welfare mothers, and impoverished juve-
subgroups among the poor, providing specific products in nile offenders have had a dramatic impact on every aspect of
exchange for their meeting certain behavioral requirements. my life. For example, I no longer take for granted the afflu-
Not surprisingly. Blank states that these targeted programs ence afforded me because of my family of origin, the edu-
actually increase the cost per participant, require more effort cational system in the communities in which I lived, or the
and ability to manage, and are less effective in reducing relatively large salary granted to me in my role as dean. I
poverty rates. also have come to believe that there always will be people
Chapter 7 provides a blueprint for realistic and effective living in poverty among us and that the only equitable way
reform of the welfare system. Blank recommends a three- to treat them is the humane and considerate approach advo-
tiered program that provides support for the poor on the cated by Blank. I recommend that scholars, students, and
basis of the level of assistance needed to return them to self- political operatives spend some time among the poor before
sufficiency. This system gives the states maximum flexibil- reading this volume so that tbeir thinking is grounded in the
ity in the allocation of cash or in-kind assistance and recog- reality of the lives of the impoverished rather than the
nizes that some people will remain unemployable. In addi- abstract of political debate.
tion, she advocates supplementing low-wage incomes
through the Earned Income Tax Credit program and urges
the implementation of refundable child care tax credits to References
facilitate the poor's ability to work and ensure appropriate Gillespie, Ed and Bob Schellhas (1994), Contract With America.
care for their children. The cost of these reforms will be sub- New York: Random House.
stantial, but she acknowledges that "there is no way to both Hill, Ronald Paul, Elizabeth C. Hirschman, and John F. Bauman
improve public assistance programs and to cut their costs (1996), "The Birth of Modern Entitlement Programs: Reports
dramatically" (p. 268). from the Field and Implications for Welfare Policy," Journal of
Chapter 8, the volume's brief finale, closes with some Public Policy & Marketing, 15 (Fall), 263-77.
important observations. Blank recognizes the need to pro- and Debra Lynn Stephens (1997), "Impoverished Con-
vide essential health care services and nutritional assistance sumers and Consumer Behavior: The Case of AFDC Mothers,"
to all low-income persons but also endorses other programs Journal of Macromarketing, 17 (Fall), forthcoming.
that enforce societal values, such as self-sufficiency and Zucchino, David (1997), Myth of the Welfare Queen. New York:
responsible parenting. She concedes that poverty in our Scribner.
country will not be eradicated even if her reforms are
adopted. Nevertheless, she suggests that reducing or remov- RONALD PAUL HILL
ing governmental support is not a better response. University of Portland