Family Leave Policy: The Political Economy of Work and Family in America

Written in an accessible, case study format, this groundbreaking work explores the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of family leave policy in the United States, from its beginnings at the state level in the early 1980s, through the adoption of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and beyond to the present day. With a political economy perspective, the book identifies the major economic and social forces affecting both the family and the workplace. And drawing on original primary research, it examines how the political system has responded to this evolving issue with various policy initiatives. Introduction: A Warm Rose Garden in February Part I: Family and Work Amidst Political and Economic Change 1. The Changing American Family 2. The Family and American Politics 3. The Economics of Family Life 4. The Changing Workplace: When Work and Family Converge Part II: Family Leave Policy in the United States 5. State Initiatives in Family Leave Policy 6. Federal Initiatives in Family Leave Policy: Formulation of the FMLA 7. Implementation and Evaluation of the Family and Medical Leave Act Part III: Toward the Future 8. Toward Paid Leave 9. Lessons from Abroad: Leave Policy from an International Perspective 10. Conclusions and Recommendations