Making America Great Again: What Can Be Learned from Policy Analysis, History Lessons, and Political Engagement

This panel presentation is the result of a social work policy class at the University of Toledo. As part of this class, the MSW student panelists engaged in policy analysis, political engagement, social problem analysis, and learned about the history of oppression in the United States, which included policy failures. Students used cultural history method and ethnography to better understand the place of policy in the history of the United States and to consider the future of social work policy practice in Trump's America. The panelists explore a variety of social problems, which include immigration, the prison system, developmental disability, poverty, LGBTQ+ discrimination, women's rights, and human trafficking. The panelist will consider with the conference audience how the current Administration contradicts American Values and how American Values can be used in policy practice to reframe the rhetoric of Making America Great Again. The successes of policy, policy analysis, advocacy, and empowerment have rarely been sustained. Gains that have been made have been the result of tenacity, collaboration between oppressed groups, and wrestling the message out of the hands of power. The panelist will dare to dream about actively engaging in policy practice as paid social work professionals and consider what will be needed of them to fight injustice, to join forces with groups they don’t agree with, and to capture the public’s attention long enough to make a difference in the lives of those currently on the margins.