Government policy for rural-urban migrant workers in China has been undergoing great changes since early 2000. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Chinese government excluded this group from the urban social protection system, but since early 2000, rural-urban migrant workers have gradually been included in some urban social programs. This study aims to explain this policy change and explore its effects. Both documentary analysis and case study research methods have been employed to fulfill this task. Government documents and other secondary data are examined first to provide explanations for this...