This chapter examines the development of social welfare programs in Western democracies and notes that they are influenced by cultural, economic, and political contexts. The chapter argues that in order to understand how social policies and social programs are developed, the cultural, economic, and politician contexts must be considered. The chapter, therefore, seeks to examine the cultural context that influenced the development of social policy, the economic context that influenced the development of social policy, and the political context that influenced the development of social policy.
Since 2003 the rapid development of China's social policy has aroused much academic interest. This research places the development of social policy in China's political and economic context, focusing on the changing role of the state in making and implementing social policy. Based on the policy paradigm theory, this article builds up a framework to analyse the shift of social policy paradigms in post-Mao China, examining the changing role of the Chinese state in social welfare and social development. It argues that China's latest round of social policy expansion was driven by the social problems accumulated during the economic reforms, with change triggered by the SARS crisis, and its shape finally determined by the central political leadership led by Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao in a top-down manner.
Economic Context and Attitudes towards the Welfare State: The Relationship between (Perceived) Unemployment Risk and Demand for Social Policy
