Session: Structured Inequality: When Do Policies Monitor, Manage, and Marginalize? (Society for Social Work and Research 30th Annual Conference Anniversary)

Federal and state policies are often framed as tools for promoting equity and supporting families, particularly for those navigating economic hardship. But what if the very systems designed to protect also engage in social control? This panel begins with a provocative question: In what circumstances do public systems meant to empower instead surveil, regulate, and exclude- especially when it comes to families at the margins? Across child protection, public assistance, financial policy, and early learning, the four papers in this panel examine how social programs operate not only as supports, but also as systems of surveillance and regulation. These studies reveal how eligibility rules, behavioral thresholds, and administrative fragmentation are used to govern family life, ration opportunity, and enforce conditional belonging. The first paper (Sun et al.) examines the relationship between state-level structural racism and financial well-being. Using a composite index of racial disparities across key domains, the authors link structural inequities to individual financial outcomes from the 2021 National Financial Capability Study. They find a strong negative association between structural racism and Black adults' financial well-being, with no comparable effects for other groups. These findings reframe financial insecurity as a product of systemic, anti-Black institutional harm rather than individual failure. The second paper (Roll & Despard) explores how safety net design distorts household decisions. A national survey of low-wage workers reveals widespread behaviors - turning down raises, reducing hours, limiting savings-to maintain benefit eligibility. These strategies, while rational, lead to greater hardship over time. The study argues that benefits cliffs and asset limits disincentivize mobility and calls for reforms that simplify eligibility and reduce punitive features. The third paper (Ko et al.) uses Wisconsin administrative data to examine how early safety net use predicts child protective services (CPS) involvement. Among children first reported in 2023, nearly 90% had prior contact with public assistance. Children with unstable benefits and limited caregiver employment were more likely to enter foster care, especially in distressed areas- suggesting these systems often flag risk rather than provide stability. The final paper (Finders & Rothwell) analyzes 2023 National Survey of Children's Health data to assess how poverty shapes school readiness. Persistent gaps between children above and below the poverty line narrow significantly when adjusting for family context (e.g., parent education, household language), underscoring the need for two-generational strategies that support both caregivers and children. Together, these papers argue that U.S. policy systems both provide support for disadvantaged families and discipline and differentiate them. To dismantle inequality, we must interrogate not only what programs deliver, but how they govern- and whom they serve.