1. CHAPTER 4
Policy Analysis from
a Historical Perspective
The Policy-Based Profession
An Introduction to
Social Welfare Policy Analysis
for Social Workers
Fifth Edition
Philip R. Popple & Leslie Leighninger
Slides by Heather Kanenberg, University of Houston, Clear Lake
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2. The Role of History
• Essential to understanding the:
– Evolution of policies over time
– Critiques of policy approaches used
– Strategies used by policy makers
– Assumptions about the causes of social problems
– Much more…
What else can history tell us?

3. Examples of Policy History
• Macro Policy: Colonial Poor Relief & Orphan
Asylums
• Mezzo Policy: Agency Policy re: Client
Eligibility & Agency Policy re: Employees
• Others? What policies are you familiar with
their history & why?

4. Methods of Policy History
• Key questions or development of a hypothesis
• Evidence to support or respond to your
questions or hypothesis
– Multiple sources and types of data for this phase
• Interpretation of findings and development of
answers to questions posed at the outset

5. Errors in the Interpretation
of History
• Cross Cultural Error
• Overgeneralization on the part of the analyst
• Oversimplification and ignoring the
complexities that exist
• Inappropriate or misguided cause and effect
relationships asserted
Many of these based on researcher/analyst bias!