Just Say No: An EHA of the Diffusion of Drug-Testing for Welfare

• In Event: Policy in US States and Localities

Abstract

Several authors have found evidence that race matters in the diffusion of welfare policies. Soss et al. (2001) found that family caps and time limit policies were more likely in states with a higher number of black and Latino welfare recipients. Similarly, Fellowes and Rowe (2004) found that states with higher percentages of blacks and Latinos were more likely to pass stricter welfare eligibility policies. While there is a reason to suspect that race plays a role in the diffusion of drug-testing for welfare policies, no research exploring that question has been done to date. This paper endeavors to fill that gap by conducting an event history analysis to determine what causal mechanisms, including issues related to race, make it more likely for a state to propose or pass a law requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug testing.

Author

• Liza Gordon, West Virginia University