A balanced and comprehensive overview of social welfare policy in the United States   This text is part of the Connecting Core Competencies Series.   American Social Welfare Policy: A Pluralist Approach, Brief Edition examines social welfare policy in the United States, and includes cutting-edge issues such as information on the 2008 presidential election, the economy, the housing bust, the passage of Proposition 8 in California, and much more.   A better teaching and learning experience This program will provide a better teaching and learning experience--for you and your students.  Here's how: Personalize Learning - MySearchLab with eText delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals. Improve Critical Thinking - Helps students sort out the major institutional actors within social welfare policy. Engage Students - Offers a user-friendly framework for policy analysis. Explore Current Issues - Information on Social Welfare Policy, the 2008 election, Proposition 8, and economic issues. Apply CSWE Core Competencies - The text integrates the 2008 CSWE EPAS, with critical thinking questions and practice tests to assess student understanding and development of competency. Support Instructors - An Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank, Computerized Test Bank (MyTest), BlackBoard Test Item File, MySearchLab with eText, and PowerPoint presentations are included in the outstanding supplements package.