La Follette School of Public Affairs
Inspiring evidence-based policymaking
Thousands of demonstrators gather and speak out against racism and racial injustice as they walk through Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a Black Lives Matter Solidarity March on June 7, 2020.

Social Policy

How the La Follette School of Public Affairs examines the ways that government policies and programs shape individual and family well-being.

How does poverty shape life chances? What explains the rise in income inequality in recent decades?

Faculty experts

Silvia Helena Barcellos

Mariel Barnes

J. Michael Collins

Christine Durrance

Jason Fletcher

Denia Garcia

Sarah Halpern-Meekin

Lindsay Jacobs

Ross Milton

Lauren Schmitz

Timothy Smeeding

Yang Wang

Barbara Wolfe

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A publication iconFeatured publications

Allowances: Incidence in the US and Relationship to Financial Capability in Young Adulthood

Poverty, work, and welfare: Cutting the Gordian knot

The Effects of Need-Based Financial Aid on Employment and Earnings: Experimental Evidence from the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars

Experiential financial education: A field study of my classroom economy in elementary schools

Genetic Risks, Adolescent Health and Schooling Attainment

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