This study challenges the common belief that welfare policies strictly intensify with rising African American caseloads. By extending Soss, Fording, and Schram's Racial Classification Model to account for federal funding constraints and state legislators' racial biases alongside their ideological aims, we examine TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) work requirements, sanctions, time limits, and exemptions.

Our analysis employs the most detailed measures of these policy dimensions yet created. Contrary to simplistic views, our findings reveal that increased caseloads prompt a complex response: some aspects become more generous while others grow stricter.

💡 Key Findings:

• Work requirements became less strict as African American caseloads grew
• Sanctions and time limits increased in severity with rising caseloads
• Certain exemptions expanded when faced with higher African American populations

📊 Data & Methods:

We analyzed state-level TANF policies, focusing on how they responded to caseload size across different states.

🧠 Why It Matters:

This nuanced understanding of race and welfare policy dynamics offers crucial insights for theories analyzing complex social programs like TANF.