The social legitimacy of welfare states in European regions and countries: balancing between popular preferences and evaluations

2017 ◽  
pp. 415-431
Author(s):  
Femke Roosma ◽  
Wim van Oorschot
Keyword(s):  
Welfare States ◽  
European Regions ◽  
Social Legitimacy ◽  
The Social

scholarly journals A federalist’s dilemma: Trade-offs between social legitimacy and budget responsibility in multi-tiered welfare states

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Bonoli ◽  
Marcello Natili ◽  
Philipp Trein
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Social Assistance ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Political ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Social Legitimacy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Social

In multi-tiered states, subnational policymakers face a dilemma: on one hand, they must ensure the social legitimacy of their subnational unit by owning relevant policies including their potentially negative consequences; on the other, they have to manage their budget responsibly, which limits the scope of policy development. We study this dilemma in relation to social policies, by examining how the constituent units and municipalities in Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland deal with it, taking social assistance as an empirical example. Our analysis suggests that the combination of the federation’s history and a multinational political context affects the incentives and the choices made by the policymakers regarding ownership and disownership of policy competencies in the field of social assistance. By analysing mechanisms that are likely to play out in multi-tiered welfare states, our article contributes to both the social policy and the political science literatures.

Wealth and preferences for redistribution: The effects of financial assets and home equity in 31 countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 002071522098808
Author(s):  
Liza G Steele
Keyword(s):  
Household Wealth ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Financial Assets ◽  
Unemployment Benefits ◽  
Home Equity ◽  
Income Equality ◽  
Financial Wealth ◽  
Preferences For Redistribution ◽  
The Social

How does wealth affect preferences for redistribution? In general, social scientists have largely neglected to study the social effects of wealth. This neglect was partially due to a dearth of data on household wealth and social outcomes, and also to greater scholarly interest in how wealth has been accumulated rather than the social effects of wealth. While we would expect household wealth to be an important component of attitudes toward inequality and social welfare policies, research in this area is scarce. In this study, the relationship between wealth and preferences for redistribution is examined in cross-national global and comparative perspective using data on 31 countries from the 2009 wave of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), the first wave of that study to include measures of wealth. The findings presented compare the effects of two types of wealth—financial assets and home equity—and demonstrate that there are differences in effects by asset type and by redistributive policy in question. Financial wealth is more closely associated with attitudes about income equality, while home equity is more closely associated with attitudes about unemployment benefits. Moreover, while the upper categories of financial wealth have the largest negative effects on support for income equality, it is the middle categories of home equity that are most strongly associated with opposition to unemployment benefits. Effects also differ by country, but not in patterns that theories of comparative welfare states nor political economy would adequately explain.

scholarly journals Levelling up: Global examples of reducing health inequalities

2021 ◽  
pp. 140349482110224
Author(s):  
Clare Bambra
Keyword(s):  
Civil Rights ◽  
Health Inequalities ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
State Expansion ◽  
Care Access ◽  
The Social ◽  
The 1950S

There are significant inequalities in health by socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, gender, neighbourhood deprivation and other axes of social inequality. Reducing these health inequalities and improving health equity is arguably the ‘holy grail’ of public health. This article engages with this quest by presenting and analysing historical examples of when sizeable population-level reductions in health inequalities have been achieved. Five global examples are presented ranging from the 1950s to the 2000s: the Nordic social democratic welfare states from the 1950s to the 1970s; the Civil Rights Acts and War on Poverty in 1960s USA; democratisation in Brazil in the 1980s; German reunification in the 1990s; and the English health inequalities strategy in the 2000s. Welfare state expansion, improved health care access, and enhanced political incorporation are identified as three commonly held ‘levellers’ whereby health inequalities can be reduced – at scale. The article concludes by arguing that ‘levelling up’ population health through reducing health inequalities requires the long-term enactment of macro-level policies that aggressively target the social determinants of health.

Religious social action and its organizational profiles

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Belzunegui-Eraso ◽  
David Duenas-Cid ◽  
Inma Pastor-Gosálbez
Keyword(s):  
Social Action ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Personal Autonomy ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Functional Dependence ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Church

Purpose Social action implemented by the Church via its affiliated entities, foundations and associations may be viewed as a uniform activity. In reality, however, several organizational profiles exist that depend on the origin of these organizations (lay or religious), the scope of their activities (local or general) and their dependence on resources (whether from public administration or civil society). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors examine this diversity based on a 2015 study of every Catholic Church social organization with headquarters in Catalonia. For the study, the authors conducted a detailed analysis of these organizations in order to determine their nature, scope and structure. The methodology combined questionnaire, interviews and non-participant observation. Findings The social actions of these organizations lead to interesting debates, such as those on: charity/assistentialism vs social justice; professionalization vs voluntarism; and personal autonomy vs functional dependence resulting from the action. This study also highlights how important it is that Church organizations carry out social actions to generate social welfare in the welfare states of southern European countries. Originality/value It is the first time that a study of the social impact of the church and its organizational implications in Spain has been made.

scholarly journals WAHYU DAN KEBERHASILAN DAKWAH MUHAMMAD (Sebuah Kajian Sosiologis)

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-135
Author(s):  
Khadziq Khadziq
Keyword(s):  
Social Factors ◽  
Social Roles ◽  
Social Legitimacy ◽  
The Social

Islam is embraced by many people through a relatively fast spread. This fact cannot be separated firom the role of its preacher, Muhammad. His success in da’wa activities was contributed by his social roles as well as the revelation that he brought. This article tries to explain that both the revelation and the social factors greatly supported his da’wa. Beside his positives, the existence of Quran as a revelation contributed the social legitimacy that Muhammad was considered as a figure to be followed in spite of his contrary values to the cultures of his time.

scholarly journals A composição legislativa na composição da personalidade humana

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (41) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirceu Pereira Siqueira ◽  
Maria Luiza De Souza Rocha ◽  
Rodrigo Ichikawa Claro Silva
Keyword(s):  
Human Dignity ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Human Person ◽  
Social Legitimacy ◽  
Social Actions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Deductive Method ◽  
Free Development ◽  
Political Choices ◽  
The Subject

RESUMOPauta-se por reflexões circundantes a determinados princípios e valores que alicerçam ordenamentos pretensamente promovedores da pessoa humana como eixo vital de proteção e fomento, em consonância com a efetivação de direitos, em especial aqueles primordiais ao núcleo medular da personalidade e dignidade humana, na contraposição de aspectos e influências que derruem a legitimidade social de certas escolhas políticas eivadas de intenções particulares antagônicas ao melhor interesse público. Visa promover certa conscientização pela necessidade de (re)consideração de determinadas atuações político-sociais, notadamente no âmbito legislativo, para que sejam debelados obstáculos os quais se opõem ao reconhecimento e à real participação de cada pessoa na formação de elementos garantidores do livre desenvolvimento da personalidade e de uma vivência digna a todos. No que concerne ao aspecto metodológico desenvolve-se este trabalho, principalmente, pelo método dedutivo, através de pesquisa bibliográfica em escritos componentes do direito, rumo à formulação de considerações pretensamente conclusivas acerca da temática posta ao debate.PALAVRAS-CHAVEDireitos fundamentais. Pluralismo. Desenvolvimento da personalidade. Dignidade humana. ABSTRACTIt is guided by reflections surrounding certain principles and values that underpin laws that are supposed to promote the human person as a vital axis of protection and promotion, in line with the realization of rights, especially those primordial to the core core of personality and human dignity, in contrast of aspects and influences that overturn the social legitimacy of certain political choices and of private intentions antagonistic to the best public interest. It aims to promote a certain awareness of the need to (re) consider certain political and social actions, especially in the legislative sphere, so that obstacles are overcome, which oppose the recognition and real participation of each person in the formation of elements guaranteeing the free development of personality and a worthy experience to all. As far as the methodological aspect is concerned, this work is developed mainly by the deductive method, through bibliographical research in written components of the law, towards the formulation of supposedly conclusive considerations about the subject matter under debate.KEYWORDSFundamental rights. Pluralism. Personality development. Human dignity

scholarly journals THE EUROPEAN WELFARE STATE REGIMES: QUESTIONING THE TYPOLOGY DURING THE CRISIS

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kosta JOSIFIDIS ◽  
John B. HALL ◽  
Novica SUPIC ◽  
Emilija BEKER PUCAR
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Strong Influence ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Social Democratic ◽  
European Welfare State ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Welfare State Regimes ◽  
The Eu

This paper examines the nature of changes within the EU–15 welfare states affected by the 2008 crisis. We try to answer the question of whether the differences that exist among different welfare state regimes, according to prevailing welfare state typologies, lead to different responses to the consequences of the crisis. Welfare state regimes are the result of different institutional perceptions of social risks hence it is realistic to expect specific responses to the effects of crisis among different welfare state regimes, and similar responses among the countries that belong to the same welfare state regimes. In order to recognize convergent vs. divergent processes, we perform a comparative analysis of the dynamics of the key welfare state determinants of the EU–15 countries, grouping according to welfare state regimes, in the pre-crisis and crisis periods. The results indicate that institutional rigidity and inherent inertia has remained a key factor of convergent welfare state processes in countries that belong to the Social Democratic and Corporatist welfare state regimes. Deviations from such a course are the most evident in the Mediterranean welfare state regimes, especially in Greece and Portugal where austerity measures have been formulated under the strong influence of the Troika.

From Welfare States to Planetary Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 900-920
Author(s):  
Ian Gough
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
The Social ◽  
Welfare Systems ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Rich Countries ◽  
The Welfare State

This final chapter concentrates on global environmental challenges to rich-country welfare states: climate breakdown and associated ecological disasters. These common threats add two new raison d’êtres for welfare states: first, that the security and equity they seek should be sustainable through time; second, that their scope is broadened to take account of global equity and well-being. With a few notable exceptions, these fundamental questions have been ignored in the social policy community. I argue here that we need to transform our understanding of social policy in four ways, each more difficult than the previous one. First, we need to develop novel eco-social programmes to tap synergies between well-being and sustainability via transformative investment programmes such as a Green New Deal. Second, we need to recompose consumption in rich countries in two ways: to realize the best principles of the welfare state by extending the range of universal basic services and to work towards a private ‘consumption corridor’ to end waste, meet basic needs, and reduce inequality. Third, we must develop strategies of ‘reduce and redistribute’ to adapt welfare systems for a future of slower, if not negative, economic growth. And finally, we need to develop a global equity framework to meet climatic and ecological threats in a globally just way that recognizes current international inequalities.

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