The four global worlds of welfare capitalism: Institutional, neoliberal, populist and residual welfare state regimes

What welfare state regimes are observed when the analysis is extended globally, empirically and theoretically? We introduce a novel perspective into the ‘welfare state regimes analyzes’ – a perspective that brings developed and developing countries together and, as such, broadens the geographical, empirical and theoretical scope of the ‘welfare modelling business’. The expanding welfare regimes literature has suffered from several drawbacks: (i) it is radically slanted towards organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD) countries, (ii) the literature on non-OECD countries does not use genuine welfare policy variables and (iii) social assistance and healthcare programmes are not utilized as components of welfare state effort and generosity. To overcome these limitations, we employ advanced data reduction methods, exploit an original dataset that we assembled from several international and domestic sources covering 52 emerging markets and OECD countries and present a welfare state regime structure as of the mid-2010s. Our analysis is based on genuine welfare policy variables that are theorized to capture welfare generosity and welfare efforts across five major policy domains: old-age pensions, sickness cash benefits, unemployment insurance, social assistance and healthcare. The sample of OECD countries and emerging market economies form four distinct welfare state regime clusters: institutional, neoliberal, populist and residual. We unveil the composition and performance of welfare state components in each welfare state regime family and develop politics-based working hypotheses about the formation of these regimes. Institutional welfare state regimes perform high in social security, healthcare and social assistance, while populist regimes perform moderately in social assistance and healthcare and moderate-to-high in social security. The neoliberal regime performs moderately in social assistance and healthcare, and it performs low in social security, and the residual regime performs low in all components. We then hypothesize that the relative political strengths of formal and informal working classes are key factors that shaped these welfare state regime typologies.

Economic Equality and Social Welfare: Policy Preferences in Five Nations

Welfare policies are a common feature of many societies and often strongly favored by the public. This is a primary reason that every advanced capitalist nation remains a welfare state (Brooks & Manza, 2007). Research abounds on welfare policy differences across nations yet scholars pay less attention to why and how the public formulate opinions on welfare policies. The following analysis shows evidence that the public are not merely self-interested in their policy preferences. I propose instead that they have a further goal in mind unrelated to material gains: the reduction of social inequality. I investigate this possibility using survey data from large, representative national samples in Australia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Finland, and Poland (N=13,294). Structural equation estimates correcting for measurement error show that those with economic egalitarian values are much more supportive of welfare policies consistent with instrumental rationality theory. These egalitarian values are more important than self-interest and national institutions in shaping preferences for government control of social services, price controls for basic needs, and subsidies for basic needs. This holds true after controlling for policy regime, attitudes toward government, family income, education, occupational status, sex, age, and church attendance and holds in all five nations.

Caring and Grieving in the Context of Social and Structural Inequity: Experiences of Australian Carers With Social Welfare Needs

Caring for and bereavement following the death of someone with a life-limiting illness may precipitate social welfare needs related to income support and housing. Nevertheless, carer experiences of welfare policy and institutions have not received significant attention. This qualitative study explored experiences of carers who navigated social welfare policy while caring for someone with a life-limiting illness, and in bereavement. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 bereaved carers in an area associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. Carers differentially encountered precariousness, with some experiencing structural vulnerability. These positionalities appeared to be shaped by policy and process-related burdens, perceptions of the welfare state, and degrees of legitimisation or disenfranchisement of forms of capital and coping orientations. Recommendations that may improve carer experience were identified. Implications relate to the need for an expanded conceptualisation of vulnerability in health and welfare practice, policy that authentically validates caring and grieving, and upstream strategies that address inequity.

Police: A Public Safety Institution of Governance

The most and constantly visible institution of governance” police” constitute the embodiment more pervasively than any other unit of administration. In a democratic welfare policy like India, the police, in addition to their primary role of maintenance of law and order, prevention and detection of crime, have to perform the crucial task of reconciliation of authority with human dignity and personal liberty and assure the functions of a social service organization. Police have to operate within the legal framework and in conformity with the Indian constitution. Its activities are constantly scrutinized by the judiciary, legislature, and the people. They have to be courteous, gentle, and friendly with the law-abiding citizens and have to be tough and fearsome to the criminals and law breakers being the executives of law and executers of the rule of law. They should ensure the safety of the lives and properties of the citizens. They should provide relief and succor to the needy and so should develop an attitude ode of respect for the dignity of the citizens, understanding the human rights and strict adherence to the principles will earn goodwill and adulation of the people. The equations between the police and the community have to be built on firm foundations of social accountability and mutual appreciation and support. The mantle of ideal citizen is the most prominent one for the policeman. A law-abiding policeman is the visible symbol of all that is good in society. On his moral and ethical fiber, depends on the quality of life in a democracy. They have to be model law-abiding citizen even when dealing with the hardened criminals. The policeman stands for good citizenship, on emblem of’ Truth’ and ‘Right.’ He is the reality that the most ignorant man can comprehend. Keywords: police, Democratic welfare policy, law and order, legal framework, judiciary, legislature, criminals and law breakers, law abiding citizens, rule of law, executives of law, social accountability, moral ethical fiber.