Scandalous Politics

Juliet F. Gainsborough is an associate professor of political science at Bentley University. She is author of Fenced Off: The Suburbanization of American Politics.

• Preface List of Abbreviations 1. Introduction: Child Welfare and the Politics of Scandal 2. The Swinging Pendulum: Child Welfare Policy at the National Level 3. States, Scandals, and Child Welfare Policy 4. Florida: Scandal, Electoral Politics, and Leadership Change 5. Colorado: Investigative Journalism, Local Control, and Minor Reform 6. New Jersey: Scandals, Courts, and Ongoing Reform 7. Conclusion: Scandalous Politics Appendix 1: Testimony at Congressional Hearings on Child Welfare Appendix 2: Data Sources and Descriptive Statistics for Chapter 3 References Selected Interviews Index

Gainsborough's book deserves to be a classic text because it sheds light on an under-studied area of social policy ... I recommend this work to anyone interested in the politics of social policy production and to anyone who wants to make a constructive difference to the lives of vulnerable children and their families. Australian Review of Public Affairs Thorough exploration of an understudied, but theoretically and substantively important, area of state and federal policy... The greatest contribution of the book is the way she deftly weaves her quantitative analysis with her qualitative case studies so that is is complementary rather than competitive. Perspectives on Politics Juliet Gainsborough successfully applies an analytical lens to the heavily value-laden domain of policymaking for abused and neglected children... The author effectively provides the detail, nuance, and complexity of the relationship between child welfare scandals and the politics of policymaking. Political Science Quarterly