The DOI matches its Crossref record; 63 of the 63 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Deciding to discipline: Race, choice, and punishment at the frontlines of welfare reform.
Abstract
Welfare sanctions are financial penalties applied to individuals who fail to comply with welfare program rules. Their widespread use reflects a turn toward disciplinary approaches to poverty management. In this article, we investigate how implicit racial biases and discrediting social markers interact to shape officials' decisions to impose sanctions. We present experimental evidence based on hypothetical vignettes that case managers are more likely to recommend sanctions for Latina and black clients—but not white clients—when discrediting markers are present. We triangulate these findings with analyses of state administrative data. Our results for Latinas are mixed, but we find consistent evidence that the probability of a sanction rises significantly when a discrediting marker (i.e., a prior sanction for noncompliance) is attached to a black rather than a white welfare client. Overall, our study clarifies how racial minorities, especially African Americans, are more likely to be punished for deviant behavior in the new world of disciplinary welfare provision.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“However, a vast body of literature in social science provides us with theory and empirical evidence for the existence of discriminatory decision-making that are also rooted in subtle and unconscious cognitive mechanisms (e.g., Schram et al. 2009).”
From Human–AI Interactions in Public Sector Decision Making: “Automation Bias” and “Selective Adherence” to Algorithmic Advice (2023) · cites this paper as Schram et al. 2009
Citations
Cites
Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color
Crenshaw, K. (1991) · Stanford Law Review · doi:10.2307/1229039 · Cited by 32,792
(1954) · Cited by 15,935
Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services
Lipsky, M. (1981) · Michigan Law Review · doi:10.2307/1288305 · Cited by 8,981
Toward a Theory of Minority-Group Relations
Davies, I., & Blalock, H. M. (1967) · British Journal of Sociology · doi:10.2307/588680 · Cited by 2,958
Social Construction of Target Populations: Implications for Politics and Policy
Schneider, A. L., & Ingram, H. (1993) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.2307/2939044 · Cited by 2,827
Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?
Correll, S. J., Benard, S., & Paik, I. (2007) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/511799 · Cited by 2,525
When Multiplication Doesn't Equal Quick Addition: Examining Intersectionality as a Research Paradigm
Hancock, A. (2007) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s1537592707070065 · Cited by 2,148
Punishment and inequality in America
Joseph, M. (2007) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.44-4178 · Cited by 2,066
The Effect of Race and Sex on Physicians' Recommendations for Cardiac Catheterization
Schulman, K. A., Berlin, J. A., Harless, W., Kerner, J. F., Sistrunk, S., Gersh, B. J., Dubé, R., Taleghani, C. K., Burke, J. E., Williams, S., et al. (1999) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejm199902253400806 · Cited by 1,934
Gilens, M. (1999) · University of Chicago Press eBooks · doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226293660.001.0001 · Cited by 1,803
Research works printed but not linked: 16
- Ayres Ian, 1995, American Economic Review, 85, 304
- Bloom Dan, 2002, Sanctions and Welfare Reform.
- Boehmke Frederick J., 2005, DURSEL: A Program for Duration Models with Sample Selection (Stata version). Version 2.0
- Born Catherine, 1999, “Life After Welfare: A Look at Sanctioned Families.”
- Goldberg Heidi, 2000, “A Compliance Oriented Approach to Sanctions in State and County TANF Programs.”
- Gooden Susan Tinsley, 2003, Race and the Politics of Welfare Reform, 254
- Keech William R., 1981, The Impact of Negro Voting: The Role of the Vote in the Quest for Equality
- Key V. O., 1949, Southern Politics in State and Nation
- Koralek Robin, 2000, “South Carolina Family Independence Program Process Evaluation.”
- Mancuso David, 2001, “Examining the Circumstances of Welfare Leavers and Sanctioned Families in Sonoma County Final Report.”
- Munnell Alicia H., 1996, American Economic Association, 86, 25
- Pavetti LaDonna A., 2004, “The Use of TANF Work-Oriented Sanctions in Illinois, New Jersey, and South Carolina: Final Report.”
- Rector Robert E., 1999, “The Determinants of Welfare Caseload Decline.”
- Stahl Roland, 2008, “Examining TANF Sanction Policies: Who Gets Sanctioned and What Are the Effects?”
- Starobin Paul, 1998, National Journal, 28, 678
- Wissoker Douglas, 1998, Testing for Discrimination in Home Insurance
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–200 of 399
“As Expected”: Theoretical Implications for Racialized Administrative Power as the Status Quo
Blume, G. H. (2022) · Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory · doi:10.1093/jopart/muac013 · Cited by 29
Frontline employees' responses to citizens' communication of administrative burdens
Halling, A., & Petersen, N. B. G. (2024) · Public Administration Review · doi:10.1111/puar.13800 · Cited by 31
Wenig gebildet, viel sanktioniert? Zur Selektivität von Sanktionen in der Grundsicherung des SGB II
Zahradnik, F., Schreyer, F., Moczall, A., Gschwind, L., & Trappmann, M. (2016) · Zeitschrift für Sozialreform · doi:10.1515/zsr-2016-0009 · Cited by 25
Bell, E., & Meyer, K. E. (2023) · Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory · doi:10.1093/jopart/muad018 · Cited by 26
Guul, T. S., Villadsen, A. R., & Wulff, J. N. (2019) · Public Administration Review · doi:10.1111/puar.13094 · Cited by 27
Schütze, C., & Johansson, H. (2019) · Australian Journal of Public Administration · doi:10.1111/1467-8500.12410 · Cited by 23
Zamboni, L. M. (2019) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/padm.12624 · Cited by 23
Kootstra, A., & Roosma, F. (2018) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/spol.12401 · Cited by 22
The Hidden Tier of Social Services
Lavee, E. (2022) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009105828 · Cited by 21
How racialized policy contact shapes the social constructions of policy targets
Maltby, E., & Kreitzer, R. (2022) · Policy Studies Journal · doi:10.1111/psj.12481 · Cited by 21
Rhodes, J. H. (2011) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s1537592711002738 · Cited by 21
Devolution and Welfare Reform: Re-evaluating "Success"
Sheely, A. (2012) · Social Work · doi:10.1093/sw/sws022 · Cited by 21
Larsson, J. (2015) · Linköping studies in arts and science · doi:10.3384/diss.diva-122907 · Cited by 24
Sanksjoner – arbeidslinjas nattside?
Hagelund, A., Øverbye, E., Hatland, A., & Terum, L. I. (2016) · Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning · doi:10.18261/issn.2464-3076-2016-01-02 · Cited by 21
Thomann, E., James, O., & Deruelle, T. (2024) · Public Management Review · doi:10.1080/14719037.2024.2322163 · Cited by 20
McCambly, H. N., & Mulroy, Q. (2023) · Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis · doi:10.3102/01623737231189478 · Cited by 20
Petersen, N. B. G. (2019) · Public Management Review · doi:10.1080/14719037.2019.1668469 · Cited by 19
Anitha, S., & Gill, A. K. (2022) · Organization · doi:10.1177/13505084221074039 · Cited by 19
Fox, C. (2019) · Studies in American Political Development · doi:10.1017/s0898588x19000129 · Cited by 18
Keulemans, S. (2021) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/padm.12721 · Cited by 18
Who's to Blame? The Identity Talk of Welfare-To-Work Program Managers
Seale, E., Buck, A. R., & Parrotta, K. L. (2012) · Sociological Perspectives · doi:10.1525/sop.2012.55.3.501 · Cited by 18
Torsvik, G., Molander, A., & Terum, L. I. (2021) · International Journal of Social Welfare · doi:10.1111/ijsw.12472 · Cited by 18
Broughton, C. (2010) · The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare · doi:10.15453/0191-5096.3545 · Cited by 17
Kaufman, A. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108554138 · Cited by 17
Bursell, M. (2018) · Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies · doi:10.1080/1369183x.2018.1561250 · Cited by 24
Cuffey, J. M., Newby, K., & Smith, S. S. (2023) · Public Administration Review · doi:10.1111/puar.13701 · Cited by 17
Neoliberalization, fast policy transfer and the management of labor market services
Nunn, A. (2019) · Review of International Political Economy · doi:10.1080/09692290.2019.1625424 · Cited by 17
Cecchini, M. (2019) · Societies · doi:10.3390/soc9040079 · Cited by 17
Wang, J. S. (2020) · Journal of Family and Economic Issues · doi:10.1007/s10834-020-09714-8 · Cited by 17
Poverty Politics and Crime Control in Europe and America
Western, B. (2011) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.1177/0094306110404514d · Cited by 16
Umar, S., & Hassan, S. (2018) · Public Performance & Management Review · doi:10.1080/15309576.2018.1481118 · Cited by 26
Gschwind, L., Ratzmann, N., & Beste, J. (2021) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/spol.12783 · Cited by 15
Race, representation, and assets forfeiture
Nicholson‐Crotty, S., Nicholson‐Crotty, J., Li, D., & Mughan, S. (2020) · International Public Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10967494.2020.1728454 · Cited by 15
Laperrière, M., & Orloff, A. S. (2018) · Handbooks of sociology and social research · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-76333-0_17 · Cited by 15
Banks as Racialized and Gendered Organizations: Interviews with Frontline Workers
Friedline, T. L., Morrow, S., Oh, S., Klemm, T., & Kugiya, J. (2022) · Social Service Review · doi:10.1086/721145 · Cited by 17
Bureaucratic Responsiveness to LGBT Americans
Lowande, K., & Proctor, A. (2019) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/ajps.12493 · Cited by 15
The social legitimacy of differently targeted benefitsPreprint
van Oorschot, W. J. H., & Roosma, F. (2015) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 15
Bisgaard, M., & Pedersen, M. J. (2021) · International Public Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10967494.2021.1943085 · Cited by 14
Administrative burden in older adults: A look at SNAP
Negoita, M., Levin, M., Paprocki, A., & Goger, A. (2024) · International Journal of Social Welfare · doi:10.1111/ijsw.12665 · Cited by 14
The Importance of Race and Religion in Social Service Providers
Hsu, B. Y., Hackett, C., & Hinkson, L. R. (2013) · Social Science Quarterly · doi:10.1111/ssqu.12050 · Cited by 19
Arruabarrena, I., de Paúl, J., Indias, S., & García, M. (2016) · Child & Family Social Work · doi:10.1111/cfs.12271 · Cited by 14
Tyson, S. Y. (2011) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.3109/01612840.2011.620681 · Cited by 15
Chang, Y., Lanfranconi, L. M., & Clark, K. (2020) · Journal of Poverty · doi:10.1080/10875549.2020.1728010 · Cited by 14
Kail, B. L., & Dixon, M. (2011) · Sociological Quarterly · doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.2011.01211.x · Cited by 14
(In)visible Sanctions: Micro-level Evidence on Compulsory Activation for Young Welfare Recipients
Smedsvik, B., & Iacono, R. (2023) · Journal of Social Policy · doi:10.1017/s0047279423000338 · Cited by 13
Bjorklund, E. T., Davis, A. P., & Pfaffendorf, J. (2018) · Sociological Quarterly · doi:10.1080/00380253.2018.1479195 · Cited by 13
Laurison, D., Brown, H. E., & Rastogi, A. (2021) · Sociological Perspectives · doi:10.1177/07311214211059136 · Cited by 15
Clients’ Perspectives on a Technology-Based Food Assistance Application System
Heflin, C. M., London, A. S., & Mueser, P. R. (2012) · The American Review of Public Administration · doi:10.1177/0275074012455454 · Cited by 13
A Virtuous Hearer: An Exploration of Epistemic Injustice and an Ethic of Care in Public Encounters
Hand, L. C. (2019) · Administrative Theory & Praxis · doi:10.1080/10841806.2019.1700457 · Cited by 13
Race, Crime, and the Public’s Sentencing Preferences
Doherty, D., Dowling, C. M., Miller, M. G., & Tuma, M. D. (2022) · Public Opinion Quarterly · doi:10.1093/poq/nfac022 · Cited by 14
No Calm Before the Storm: Low-Income Latina Immigrant and Citizen Mothers Before and After COVID-19
Ybarra, M., & Lua, F. M. (2023) · RSF The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences · doi:10.7758/rsf.2023.9.3.07 · Cited by 14
The Politics of Welfare Inclusion: Explaining State Variation in Legal Immigrants' Welfare Rights
Reese, E. R., Ramirez, E., & Estrada‐Correa, V. (2013) · Sociological Perspectives · doi:10.1525/sop.2012.56.1.97 · Cited by 12
Hilário, A. P., & Augusto, F. R. (2020) · MDPI eBooks · doi:10.3390/books978-3-03943-395-7 · Cited by 13
No Discretion Required? Caseworker Autonomy and the Rules of Welfare Reform
Taylor, T. (2014) · Sociological Inquiry · doi:10.1111/soin.12038 · Cited by 12
Trust, Fairness, and Signaling
Raaphorst, N., & de Walle, S. V. (2020) · doi:10.1002/9781119263203.ch3 · Cited by 12
Fekjær, S. B., Øverbye, E., & Terum, L. I. (2023) · Acta Sociologica · doi:10.1177/00016993231156486 · Cited by 11
The Radical Imagination of Black Women
Dowe, P. K. F. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197650790.001.0001 · Cited by 14
Hansen, P. (2023) · Public Management Review · doi:10.1080/14719037.2023.2270557 · Cited by 12
Youth homelessness and the racial knowledge gap
Carrasco, A. (2019) · Journal of Children and Poverty · doi:10.1080/10796126.2019.1591041 · Cited by 12
Crime Pays the Victim: Criminal Fines, the State, and Victim Compensation Law 1964–1984
Levine, J. R., & Russell, K. L. (2023) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/723952 · Cited by 14
Pipinis, D. (2017) · Social Service Review · doi:10.1086/690831 · Cited by 11
Strier, R., Abu‐Rayya, H. M., & Shwartz‐Ziv, T. (2021) · Administration & Society · doi:10.1177/0095399721996325 · Cited by 10
Not seeing the elephant in the room: How policy discourses shape frontline work with child poverty
Nørup, I., & Jacobsen, B. (2021) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/spol.12784 · Cited by 10
Schmidt, J. (2022) · Ethics and Social Welfare · doi:10.1080/17496535.2022.2038229 · Cited by 10
Walker, A. L., Spencer, R. A., Lemon, E. D., Woods-Jaeger, B. A., Komro, K. A., & Livingston, M. D. (2023) · Maternal and Child Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10995-023-03699-0 · Cited by 10
Attitudes matter—welfare work and migration in Sweden
Schütze, C. (2019) · Migration Studies · doi:10.1093/mny/mny048 · Cited by 10
Framing Life as Work: Navigating Dependence and Autonomy in Independent Living
Munson, A. B. (2019) · Qualitative Sociology · doi:10.1007/s11133-019-09438-8 · Cited by 10
Discrimination based on political beliefs: A field experiment on the freedom of assembly
Adam, C., Grohs, S., & Knill, C. (2020) · Public Policy and Administration · doi:10.1177/0952076720905012 · Cited by 10
Cracks in Broken Windows: How Objects Shape Professional Evaluation
Bartram, R. (2021) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/713763 · Cited by 10
Negotiating the discourse of race within the United States welfare system
Lens, V., & Cary, C. E. (2009) · Ethnic and Racial Studies · doi:10.1080/01419870903259538 · Cited by 10
Copeland, K. A., King, A., Ladipo, J., Bennett, D., Amsterdam, A., White, C., Gerker, H. E., & Karbeah, J. (2024) · Early Childhood Research Quarterly · doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.12.012 · Cited by 9
Rule bending on the frontlines of public service delivery: How and why caseworkers favor the strong
Hansen, P. (2022) · International Public Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10967494.2022.2138660 · Cited by 10
Rural Poverty: Research and Policy for U.S. Families
Tickamyer, A. R. (2020) · National symposium on family issues · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-37689-5_1 · Cited by 11
Mind the gap: Parental and professional perceptions of ‘risk’ for children living in poverty
Yona, L., & Nadan, Y. (2021) · Child & Family Social Work · doi:10.1111/cfs.12840 · Cited by 9
Hansen, L. S. (2020) · Time & Society · doi:10.1177/0961463x20950983 · Cited by 9
Long-run analysis of regional inequalities in the US
Logan, T. D., Hardy, B. L., & Parman, J. M. (2020) · Oxford Review of Economic Policy · doi:10.1093/oxrep/graa056 · Cited by 10
Knotz, C., & Nelson, M. (2013) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2328253 · Cited by 9
Raaphorst, N., Ashikali, T., & Groeneveld, S. M. (2024) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/spol.13033 · Cited by 11
Lofaro, R. J., & Sapat, A. K. (2024) · Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory · doi:10.1093/jopart/muae015 · Cited by 8
de Vries, R., Reeves, A., & Geiger, B. B. (2022) · Social Policy and Administration · doi:10.1111/spol.12812 · Cited by 8
The transformation of surveillance in the digitalisation discourse of the OECD: a brief genealogy
Padden, M. (2023) · Internet Policy Review · doi:10.14763/2023.3.1720 · Cited by 16
Cheng, T. C., Lo, C. C., & Weber, J. (2016) · Journal of Social Service Research · doi:10.1080/01488376.2016.1235070 · Cited by 10
Critical Applications of Heterogeneity Theories to Power in Nonprofit Human Services Organizations
Flanigan, S. T. (2021) · Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly · doi:10.1177/08997640211029714 · Cited by 8
Understanding Discrimination: Outcome-Relevant Information Does Not Mitigate Discrimination
Pedersen, M. J., & Nielsen, V. L. (2022) · Social Problems · doi:10.1093/socpro/spac006 · Cited by 9
Managing the Socially Marginalized: Attitudes Toward Welfare, Punishment, and Race
Wheelock, D., Wald, P., & Shchukin, Y. (2012) · Journal of Poverty · doi:10.1080/10875549.2011.639859 · Cited by 8
Modeling upstream socioeconomic inequities and syndemic conditions among mothers over time
Caiola, C. E., McCoy, T. P., & Kneipp, S. M. (2020) · Public Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/phn.12831 · Cited by 8
The Effects of the 2021 Child Tax Credit on Racial and Ethnic Inequalities in Well-Being
Hardy, B. L., & Hokayem, C. (2023) · The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science · doi:10.1177/00027162241265791 · Cited by 7
Stelbotsky, B., & Park, S. (2024) · Public Management Review · doi:10.1080/14719037.2024.2443064 · Cited by 10
Pavetti, L. A., Safawi, A., & Trisi, D. (2021) · National Tax Journal · doi:10.1086/716107 · Cited by 7
Nørup, I., & Jacobsen, B. (2021) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/padm.12820 · Cited by 7
Racism and the uneven geography of welfare sanctioning in England
Williams, A., Webb, B., & Gale, R. (2024) · Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers · doi:10.1111/tran.12677 · Cited by 8
Lloyd, C. M., Carlson, J., & Alvira-Hammond, M. (2021) · Child Trends · Cited by 7
Sanctions and Education Outcomes for Children in TANF Families
Larson, A. M., Singh, S., & Lewis, C. (2011) · Child & Youth Services · doi:10.1080/0145935x.2011.605305 · Cited by 7
Houser, L., Schram, S. F., Soss, J., & Fording, R. C. (2014) · Journal of Women Politics & Policy · doi:10.1080/1554477x.2014.890834 · Cited by 7
Self-citationAn Analysis of Welfare Participation: Rational-Choice Perspective and Group-Threat Hypothesis
Cheng, T. C., & Lo, C. C. (2014) · Journal of Social Service Research · doi:10.1080/01488376.2013.865580 · Cited by 7
Moral Logics of Bureaucratic Indifference
Shiff, T. (2024) · Annual Review of Law and Social Science · doi:10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-041922-032616 · Cited by 6
Acquiring federal disaster assistance
Rivera, J. D. (2016) · doi:10.7282/t3mw2k5p · Cited by 7
Kaplan, K., Farooqui, S., Clark, J., Dobson, E., Jefferson, R., Kelly, N., Buitrago, K., Drew, K., Lira, A., Williams, M., et al. (2022) · Health Affairs · doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00746 · Cited by 6
Davis, B., & Ybarra, M. (2023) · Human Services Organizations Management Leadership & Governance · doi:10.1080/23303131.2023.2189439 · Cited by 6
When do bureaucrats choose to unburden clients: A randomized experiment
Johnson, D., & Neshkova, M. I. (2023) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/padm.12972 · Cited by 7
Metadata
- Authors
- Schram, S. F., Soss, J., Fording, R. C., & Houser, L.
- Affiliations
- Bryn Mawr College (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- University of Kentucky (US)
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schram, Sanford F.
- Venue
- American Sociological Review
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-06
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 398-422
- ISSN
- 0003-1224 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-8271
- OpenAlex
- W2084159512
- Cited by
- 399
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 47 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 37.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Sociological Review (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Social Policy and Reform Studies
- Keywords
- welfare sanctions, welfare reform, racial bias, implicit bias, case managers, African American clients, poverty management
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review