The Supportive State Families, Government, and America's Political Ideals

Maxine Eichner, "The Supportive State: Families, Government, and America's Political Ideals"
English | ISBN: 0195343212 | 2010 | 208 pages | PDF | 1396 KB
Broad agreement exists among politicians and policymakers that the family is a critical institution of American life. Yet the role that the state should play with respect to family ties among citizens remains deeply contested. This controversy over the state's role undergirds a broad range of public policy debates: Does the state have a responsibility to help resolve conflicts between work and family? Should same-sex marriage be permitted? Should parents who receive welfare benefits be required to work? Yet while these individual policy issues are endlessly debated, the underlying theoretical question of the stance that the state should take with families remains largely unexplored.