Old Assumptions, New Realities: Ensuring Economic Security for Working Families in the 21st Century (A West Coast Poverty Center Volume)

The way Americans live and work has changed significantly since the creation of the Social Security Administration in 1935, but U.S. social welfare policy has failed to keep up with these changes. The model of the male breadwinner-led nuclear family has given way to diverse and often complex family structures, more women in the workplace, and nontraditional job arrangements. Old Assumptions, New Realities identifies the tensions between twentieth-century social policy and twenty-first-century realities for working Americans and offers promising new reforms for ensuring social and economic security. Old Assumptions, New Realities focuses on policy solutions for today's workers—particularly low-skilled workers and low-income families. Contributor Jacob Hacker makes strong and timely arguments for universal health insurance and universal 401(k) retirement accounts. Michael Stoll argues that job training and workforce development programs can mitigate the effects of declining wages caused by deindustrialization, technological changes, racial discrimination, and other forms of job displacement. Michael Sherraden maintains that wealth-building accounts for children—similar to state college savings plans—and universal and progressive savings accounts for workers can be invaluable strategies for all workers, including the poorest. Jody Heymann and Alison Earle underscore the potential for more extensive work-family policies to help the United States remain competitive in a globalized economy. Finally, Jodi Sandfort suggests that the United States can restructure the existing safety net via state-level reforms but only with a host of coordinated efforts, including better information to service providers, budget analyses, new funding sources, and oversight by intermediary service professionals. Old Assumptions, New Realities picks up where current policies leave off by examining what's not working, why, and how the safety net can be redesigned to work better. The book brings much-needed clarity to the process of creating viable policy solutions that benefit all working Americans. A West Coast Poverty Center Volume Old Assumptions, New Realities / Marcia K. Meyers, Robert D. Plotnick And Jennifer Romich -- Policies To Increase Economic Security In The Twenty-first Century -- Working Families At Risk : Understanding And Confronting The New Economic Insecurity / Jacob S. Hacker -- Workforce Development And Public Policy : Addressing New Realities In Low-skill Labor Markets / Michael A. Stoll -- Creating Opportunity At The Bottom : The Role Of Skill Development And Firm-level Policies In Improving Outcomes For Low-wage Employees / Paul Osterman -- Asset-based Policies And Financial Services : Toward Fairness And Inclusion / Michael Sherraden -- Ensuring That Americans Can Succeed At Home And At Work In A Global Economy / Jody Heymann And Alison Earle -- The New Realities Of Delivering Safety-net Programs -- Nonprofit Helping Hands For The Working Poor : The New Realities And Challenges Of Today's Safety Net / Scott W. Allard -- Reconstituting The Safety Net : New Principles And Design Elements To Better Support Low-income Workers / Jodi R. Sandfort. Robert D. Plotnick ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Old assumptions, new realities / Marcia K. Meyers, Robert D. Plotnick and Jennifer Romich Policies to increase economic security in the 21st century Working families at risk : understanding and confronting the new economic insecurity / Jacob S. Hacker Workforce development and public policy : addressing new realities in low skill labor markets / Michael A. Stoll Creating opportunity at the bottom : the role of skill development and firm level policies in improving outcomes for low wage employees / Paul Osterman Asset-based policies and financial services : toward fairness and inclusion / Michael Sherraden Ensuring that Americans can succeed at home and at work in a global economy / Jody Heymann and Alison Earle The new realities of delivering safety net programs Nonprofit helping hands for the working poor : the new realities of today's safety net / Scott W. Allard Reconstituting the safety-net : new principles and design elements that support low-income workers / Jodi R. Sandfort. Title Page, Copyright Contents Contributors Acknowledgments Preface 1. Old Assumptions, New Realities Part I: Policies to Increase Economic Security in the 21st Century 2. Working Families at Risk: Understanding and Confronting the New Economic Insecurity 3. Workforce Development and Public Policy: Addressing New Realities in Low-Skill Labor Markets 4. Creating Opportunity at the Bottom: The Role of Skill Development and Firm-Level Policies in Improving Outcomes for Low-Wage Employees 5. Asset-Based Policies and Financial Services: Toward Fairness and Inclusion 6. Ensuring that Americans Can Succeed at Home and at Work in a Global Economy Part II: The New Realities of Delivering Safety-Net Programs 7. Nonprofit Helping Hands for the Working Poor: New Realities and Challenges for Today's Safety Net 8. Reconstituting the Safety Net: New Principles and Design Elements to Better Support Low-Income Workers Index The way Americans live and work has changed significantly since the creation of the Social Security Administration in 1935, but U.S. social welfare policy has failed to keep up with these changes. The model of the male breadwinner-led nuclear family has given way to diverse and often complex family structures, more women in the workplace, and nontraditional job arrangements. Old Assumptions, New Realities identifies the tensions between twentieth-century social policy and twenty-first century realities for working Americans and offers promising new reforms for ensuring social and economic security