Social Policy

Social policy refers to government action designed to address societal issues and promote the well-being of individuals and communities. The study of social policy is interdisciplinary and encompasses a wide range of areas, such as healthcare, education, welfare, housing, and employment. Social policy is often aimed at reducing social inequalities and protecting marginalized populations while the efficient use of resources is another central but at times competing value. FCS faculty study a variety of social policies, such as:

Financial well-being and the role of economic policy

• Lori Kowaleski-Jones helped develop a tax credit program to identify individuals who have unclaimed Earned Income Tax Credits and link them to a tax assistance program. The program, Connect to Collect, is provided in community spaces to potential beneficiaries, and can help individuals claim thousands of dollars in tax credits.
• Jessie Fan is researching how our definitions of the middle class focus narrowly on income whereas definitions based on consumption patterns show that the American middle class is larger than when using the income-based definition.
• Zhou Yu researches macroeconomic influences on homeownership attainment and housing issues for migrants.
• David Curtis and Su Shin are evaluating a reemployment program, administered by the Utah Department of Workforce Services, that aims to shorten the time individuals receive unemployment insurance compensation by improving employment outcomes. This evaluation is using a randomized field design with a sample of 45,000 claimants.

Family policy

• Dan Carlson is studying how workplace flexibility policies can reduce the gendered division of household labor for parents.
• Nicholas Wolfinger has researched policy and institutional influences on divorce and family structure.
• Sonia Salari studies governmental and institutional policies that can reduce family violence and elderly abuse.

Social policy influences on health behaviors

• Jessie Fan and Lori Kowaleski-Jones have researched how supplemental nutrition programs (e.g., WIC, SNAP) influence dietary quality.
• David Curtis and Barb Brown have studied policy influences on use of parks and public transit.
• Su Shin studies how the effects of natural disasters on health and economic outcomes is mitigated by federal and local government actions.

All research categories