The present transformation of health and human services spells the end of the American welfare state paradigm. Its demise is foretold by the rise of for-profit corporations exploiting various social markets, the multiplication of human service professions, and the implosion of ideological liberalism. For two decades, these forces have reversed a half-century of federal social policy. A renaissance in social welfare could commence by seizing the opportunities implicit with devolution and privatization. So reformulated, American social welfare could reconcile the multiple demands of a diverse population and the opportunities of a technologically sophisticated economy.
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