The Politics of Child Support in America

Cover......Page 1
Half Title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Foreword......Page 11
Acknowledgments......Page 13
1 The Limits of Studying Entrepreneurial Episodes......Page 17
WHO ARE POLICY ENTREPRENEURS? ENTREPRENEURIAL MOVEMENTS AT WORK......Page 20
A Word about Who Is Not an Entrepreneur......Page 24
WHY DO ENTREPRENEURS INNOVATE?......Page 25
Risk......Page 27
Shakeout......Page 30
THE WHO, WHY, AND HOW OF POLICY ENTREPRENEURSHIP: PUTTING THE STRATEGIES TOGETHER......Page 35
THE POLITICS OF INNOVATION: THE CASE OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT......Page 43
PLAN OF ANALYSIS......Page 47
THE FEDERAL-STATE BALANCE......Page 51
THE COMPOSITION OF THE CASELOAD......Page 57
DUTIES OF THE CURRENT CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAM......Page 59
I. Locating Absent Parents......Page 60
2. Establishing Paternity......Page 61
3. Setting Orders and Awards......Page 62
4. Enforcing the Orders......Page 64
CONCLUSIONS......Page 66
3 Charity Workers and Local Law Enforcement......Page 68
Third Party Benefactors as Complainants......Page 70
Mothers as Complainants......Page 72
CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AS COMPLAINANTS......Page 74
EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE: OUT-OF-WEDLOCK, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, AND FATHERLESS CHILDREN......Page 81
CONCLUSIONS......Page 84
4 Social Workers as Challenger Entrepreneurs......Page 85
DEFINING A RENT-SEEKING POSITION......Page 86
RISK-REDUCTION STRATEGIES......Page 89
Organization Building......Page 90
Educational Standards......Page 94
Professional Identity......Page 97
SHAKEOUT STRATEGIES......Page 99
OVERTAKING THE INCUMBENTS......Page 106
CONCLUSIONS......Page 107
5 Conservatives as Challenger Entrepreneurs......Page 110
DEFINING A RENT-SEEKING POSITION......Page 112
The Historical Roots of This Rent-Seeking Position......Page 113
RISK-REDUCTION STRATEGIES......Page 122
SHAKEOUT STRATEGIES......Page 127
The Social Security Amendments of 1967......Page 128
The Family Assistance Plan......Page 131
OVERTAKING THE INCUMBENTS......Page 135
CONCLUSIONS......Page 141
6 Women Leaders as Challenger Entrepreneurs......Page 143
DEFINING A RENT-SEEKING POSITION......Page 146
Political Representation......Page 150
Women’s Organizations, Coalitions, and Issue-Specific Groups......Page 156
SHAKEOUT STRATEGIES......Page 163
OVERTAKING THE INCUMBENTS......Page 171
CONCLUSIONS......Page 173
7 Fathers’ Rights Groups as Challenger Entrepreneurs......Page 176
DEFINING A RENT-SEEKING POSITION......Page 178
RISK-REDUCTION STRATEGIES......Page 184
Organization Building......Page 185
Fathers Rights Groups: The Present......Page 190
SHAKEOUT STRATEGIES......Page 195
OVERTAKING THE INCUMBENTS?......Page 202
CONCLUSIONS......Page 208
8 Innovation and the Vibrancy of American Entrepreneurship......Page 210
THE CURRENT CLIMATE FOR CHILD SUPPORT INNOVATION......Page 215
THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS AND THE VIBRANCY OF AMERICAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP......Page 219
Index......Page 225