Legislative advocacy: One path to social change

108 The press to meet mounting social any of these programs would affect problems, combined with budgetary well over a million people. Other pro cutbacks, elimination of programs, imgrams affect even more recipients. For poundment of funds, and scarce reexample, the 1972 changes in Medicaid sources, makes this a critical period (P.L. 92-603) terminated some bene for social welfare and the social work fits for over 20 million low-income profession. If the profession is to recitizens, and an increase in Medicare main viable, more social workers must fees would affect virtually everyone become active as legislative advocates, over age 65, or about 22 million In this article the term legislative adelderly and disabled people.2 vocate refers to any individual, agency, The largest social welfare program or organization who attempts to influis, of course, social security. If Con ence the course of a bill or other gress makes one change in social se legislative measure. curity benefits, which it does nearly The purpose of this article is threeevery year, that change can directly fold: (1) to present data supporting influence the income of 124 million the assertion that this is indeed a critipeople—30 million beneficiaries and cal and perhaps a pivotal period for 94 million workers (whose payroll tax social work, (2) to discuss factors in would be increased)—well over half the legislative process that set limits on the population.3 the amount of influence one may exDespite a Republican administration pect to exert, including the roles of and the demise of many social pro compromise, time, and rational persuagrams started in the 1960s, important sion, and (3) to examine specific tacwelfare legislation continues to be in tics that may be used—the provision troduced and debated in both federal of timely and relevant information, the and state legislatures. For example, selection of targets of influence, and major federal legislation has been in the use of legislative and administratroduced recently on child develop tive staffs as conduits of influence. ment, health care, the minimum wage, welfare reform, social security, hous NEED FOR ADVOCATES i„g( an(j manpower.4 And thousands The need for involvement of social of bills concerning social welfare are workers in legislative advocacy has introduced each year into the fifty state long been recognized and supported.1 legislatures. Few bills survive the tor However, it is even more critical now tuous legislative process. Some deserve because of three significant factors: to pass, but many are not in the best ( 1 ) The breadth of social legislation interests of the public or do not rep causes even minor changes in policy to resent enlightened social policy. The have a major impact on millions of point is that social change will come people. (2) Much important social about whether or not social workers legislation continues to be introduced are actively involved in the process, each year. Moreover, an ever growing Moreover, federal, state, and local proportion of the budget and national governments allocated 55 percent of resources is being devoted to welfaretheir budgets for welfare activities in type activities, and it is important that fiscal 1973, compared with 42 per social workers have a role in determincent in 1965. Social welfare expendi ing priorities. (3) The lack of a budtures under public programs rose from getary surplus, combined with a slow $52.3 billion in 1960 to $215 billion rate of growth, will make competition in 1972. The proportion of the gross for funds expended on social welfare national product devoted to public so more intense than in the past. cial welfare increased from 11.8 per New legislation can produce widecent in 1965 to 17.6 percent in 1973.5 spread social change for specific segIn short, the public sector's role in ments of the population. For example, financing social welfare is growing in fiscal 1972 there were 17 governrapidly. In addition, decisions affecting mental income-transfer and in-kind social welfare are being made increas programs, each of which had over a ingly in state and federal legislatures, million recipients. Thus a change in Revenue sharing shifts even more deci