THE SOURCES OF PUBLIC POLICY: WELFARE POLICY IN THE AMERICAN STATES

Abstract
The conceptualization of political and economic determinants of public policy as interactive rather than sufficient causes is subjected here to a comparative state analysis. An examination of interactive effects of culture, wealth, and gubernatorial power on AFDC grants and Medicaid benefits offers empirical illustration of Stonecash's reconceptualization of the classic politics‐process‐policy model. The results indicate that political dispositions become more potent in combination with increasing concentrations of wealth and executive power.