Welfare Reform's Chilling Effects on Noncitizens: Changes in Noncitizen Welfare Recipiency or Shifts in Citizenship Status?

Objective. In the mid-1990s, welfare usage declined disproportionately among noncitizens, prompting some policy analysts to argue that the 1996 Welfare Reform Act (PRWORA) had a "chilling" effect on welfare receipt among eligible noncitizens. However, naturalization among noncitizen welfar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSocial science quarterly Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 613 - 631
Main Author Van Hook, Jennifer
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing 01.09.2003
Blackwell
Southwestern Social Science Association
Blackwell Publishing Ltd
SeriesSocial Science Quarterly
Subjects
Caseloads
Changes
Children
Citizens
Citizenship
Citizenship status
Electronics benefit transfer
Entitlement programs
Immigrants
Labor legislation
Naturalization
Noncitizens
Of Genaral Interest
Political science
Public assistance programs
Reconciliation
Reform
Social problems and social policy. Social work
Social sciences
Social Services Utilization
Sociology
U.S.A
USA
Welfare
Welfare Recipients
Welfare Reform
Welfare Services
United States Of America
Follow-up study
Multivariate Analysis
Social status
Naturalization
Immigrant
Citizenship
Reform
Social Policy
Statistics
Beneficiary
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Summary:Objective. In the mid-1990s, welfare usage declined disproportionately among noncitizens, prompting some policy analysts to argue that the 1996 Welfare Reform Act (PRWORA) had a "chilling" effect on welfare receipt among eligible noncitizens. However, naturalization among noncitizen welfare recipients could account for the disproportionate decline. This article evaluates the role of naturalizations in producing the so-called chilling effect. Methods. The research uses longitudinal data (the Survey of Program Dynamics) to decompose changes in citizen and noncitizen welfare receipt into parts due to shifts in citizenship status and shifts in welfare receipt. Results. A substantial portion of the relative decline in welfare usage among noncitizens can be explained by shifts in naturalization. Conclusions. A more cautious interpretation of results about the effects of welfare reform on immigrants is called for, particularly results of analyses that use cross-sectional data and disaggregate the change in welfare receipt by citizenship status.
Bibliography:istex:9E1EBC0265F3AED716B9EB4B8DF11A9BABB8DAE6
Direct correspondence to Jennifer Van Hook, Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 〈vanhook@bgnet.bgnet.edu〉. This research was supported in part by an NIH grant (R01-HD-39075-1). Thanks to Rebecca Clark for making helpful suggestions on the discussion of welfare and immigration policy changes, and to Jennifer E. Glick and Frank D. Bean for making helpful comments.
ArticleID:SSQU08403008
ark:/67375/WNG-SK654J3M-F
This research was supported in part by an NIH grant (R01‐HD‐39075‐1). Thanks to Rebecca Clark for making helpful suggestions on the discussion of welfare and immigration policy changes, and to Jennifer E. Glick and Frank D. Bean for making helpful comments.
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vanhook@bgnet.bgnet.edu
Direct correspondence to Jennifer Van Hook, Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
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ISSN:0038-4941
1540-6237
DOI:10.1111/1540-6237.8403008