Cross-national Social Welfare Policy Analysis in the Graduate Curriculum

Abstract

This article presents an analytical model for enabling social work graduate students to understand social welfare policies in a cross-national context. The author discusses a policy process model for comparative study that helps to explain why income, health, and social services programs are different among nations. The model examines governmental policies in other nations in terms of legal and assumed jurisdiction, obstacles and constraints to intervention, catalysts for intervention, needs identification, goals and strategies, program description, and evaluation.