Job-Killer” Bills in Tough Economic Times

Social Movements and Leave-Policy Agendas Before and After the Great Recession

Bibliographic Data

ID6304301
AuthorsCassandra Engeman (0000-0003-0526-6679, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume23
Issue3
Pages329-347
Publication date2018-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMobilization An International Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1086-671X • E-ISSN: 1938-1514
PublisherMobilization Journal (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.17813/1086-671x-23-3-329
OpenAlexW2895250720
LanguageEN
Citations received5

How do economic conditions influence social movements' capacity to set legislative agendas? This research examines multiple efforts to expand family, medical, and sick leave policies in California across almost two decades spanning the Great Recession. Longitudinal analysis in a state with political conditions favorable to leave policy agendas permits close consideration of how varying economic conditions shape social movement influence in the policy process. Drawing from various qualitative sources, this research finds that, after the recession, leave bills were more often held in appropriations committees for their estimated costs to the state and anticipated pressures on funding sources. Weak economic conditions also shifted leave advocates' priorities away from leave policy issues toward maintaining public employment and services. The article advances social movement research by showing the mechanisms by which state fiscal capacity shapes social movement strategies and interacts with political conditions at the early, agenda-setting stages of the legislative process

Economic policy · Economics · Legislature · Macroeconomics · Political economy · Political opportunity · Political science · Politics · Recession · Sick leave · Social movement · State (computer science · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Public Administration · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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