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CHOICE Review

An interesting work for a political scientist to comment on, since it attempts to explain the policy-making process to social-work professionals. In so doing, it offers valuable insights to students of politics as well as students of social welfare. The overarching premise of the book is that social workers must understand policy-making since they will, of necessity, participate in the process. As preparation for this task, the book presents an overview of various theoretical visions of policy-making, including elitism, pluralism, and policy process dynamics. Second, it discusses the ways various visions of poverty have entered the political discourse in the US. These include interpretations of the causes of poverty, proper responses to poverty, and the appropriate role of welfare programs in responding to poverty. Third, the volume sketches the various ways social-work professionals may be required to participate in politics and how they can most effectively respond to these challenges. These roles include information provision and advocacy on behalf of preferred policies. This work is helpful not simply for social workers but for all readers interested in an introduction to the ways in which social welfare policy is framed and formulated by political policymakers. Undergraduates, community college students, and general readers.-D. R. Imig, University of Nevada, Las Vegas