How Unemployment Experience Affects Support for the Welfare State: A Real Panel Approach

Naumann, Elias; Buß, Christopher; Bähr, Johannes

doi:10.1093/esr/jcv094

Cited by 102 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The most interesting difference, however, is found between the unemployed right-wing supporter (-0.32) and the employed one (0.53), which amounts to one standard deviation of the dependent variable 14 . If unemployment 'offsets' ideological preferences lastingly (Naumann et al, 2015), the popularity of demanding ALMPs should suffer in the long run, particularly in those countries where youth and those in the more affluent strata (e.g. middle class) are affected by increasing labour market risk.…”

Section: Political Ideology and Support For Demanding Almpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who Wants Demanding Active Labour Market Policies? Public Attitudes towards Policies that put Pressure on the Unemployed

Fossati

2017

J. Soc. Pol.

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The literature addressing attitudes about social policy and the welfare state has been telling us for decades that welfare interventions are supported by those individuals who benefit from a specific measure. The diffusion of 'demanding' active labour market policies (ALMPs), however, challenges this relationship. Using a novel dataset, I analyse which individual-and countrylevel factors explain public support for demanding ALMPs in five Western European countries. The results show that labour market risk and ideological orientation influence public attitudes towards these ALMPs. Thereby, unemployed individuals sympathising with the political right are more strongly opposed to demanding measures than employed individuals with the same political preferences. Moreover, aggregate support is found to be correlated with the country's ALMP legacy, varying from high levels in Germany and the UK to low levels in Denmark and France. The findings suggest that most ALMPs are in fact implemented despite the opposition of their beneficiaries.

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Section: Political Ideology and Support For Demanding Almpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who Wants Demanding Active Labour Market Policies? Public Attitudes towards Policies that put Pressure on the Unemployed

Fossati

2017

J. Soc. Pol.

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“…On the other hand, the rational self-interest argument suggests that those individuals who (expect to) depend on state benefits are more in favour of generous policies (Iversen & Soskice, 2001). Research shows that one's position in the labour market, in particular unemployment, is strongly related to support for redistributive policies (Margalit, 2013;Naumann, Buss, & Bähr, 2016). The risk of redundancy (Rehm et al, 2012), temporary employment and part-time work (Marx, 2014) are positively related to support for social policy as well.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public opinion towards workfare policies in Europe: Polarisation of attitudes in times of austerity?

Buß

2018

Int J Soc Welfare

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Increasing wage inequality, strong labour market divides and welfare retrenchment are widely believed to result in more polarised public opinion towards the welfare state. The present study examined if attitudes towards workfare policies have become more polarised in Europe over recent decades. To achieve this aim, the study analysed public opinion data from the European Value Study (EVS) from 23 European countries in the years 1990–2008, using multi‐level regression analysis. It is found that individuals who are most affected by workfare – the unemployed, the poor and the young – most strongly oppose workfare concepts. Against expectations, there was no evidence of an increasing polarisation of attitudes in Europe. Attitudinal cleavages based on employment status, income and education have remained stable. Differences between age groups have even dissolved because younger cohorts increasingly favour strict workfare policies. The results suggest that warnings of increasing social conflicts and an erosion of solidarity in European societies are exaggerated.

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“…The redistribution motive underlies classical accounts of class politics (Korpi 1983;Evans 2017) as well as most political economy theories of political behavior (Cusack et al 2006;Rehm 2009;Iversen & Soskice 2015;Walter 2017). Although it is often argued that values and social identity trump economic self-interest (e.g., Marx & Schumacher 2016), recent evidence based on panel data shows that the experience of economic hardship does increase support for redistribution (Margalit 2013;Owens & Pedulla 2013;Naumann et al 2016).…”

Section: Redistribution Motivementioning

confidence: 99%

Do Poor Citizens Vote for Redistribution, Against Immigration or Against the Establishment? A Conjoint Experiment in Denmark

Marx

Schumacher

2018

Scand Pol Stud

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What is the link between socioeconomic disadvantage and vote choice? The literature on this question is fragmented and points to motivations based on welfare policy, immigration policy or anti‐establishment sentiments. To test which of these motives explains differences in voting behaviour between classes, a conjoint experiment in which fictitious candidates present randomly assigned positions was designed. The experiment evaluated the relative importance of the position on welfare, immigration and anti‐establishment as well as candidates’ occupational background. By splitting the analyses into lower, middle‐ and upper class voters, it was found that lower class voters are most distinct from other voters in their preferences for anti‐establishment candidates. Strikingly, lower class voters even support welfare retrenchment, as long as it is an anti‐establishment candidate proposing it. The experiment also found a general tendency to vote against career politicians across classes and remarkably few differences regarding immigration preferences.

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How Unemployment Experience Affects Support for the Welfare State: A Real Panel Approach

Cited by 102 publications

References 37 publications

Who Wants Demanding Active Labour Market Policies? Public Attitudes towards Policies that put Pressure on the Unemployed

Who Wants Demanding Active Labour Market Policies? Public Attitudes towards Policies that put Pressure on the Unemployed

Public opinion towards workfare policies in Europe: Polarisation of attitudes in times of austerity?

Do Poor Citizens Vote for Redistribution, Against Immigration or Against the Establishment? A Conjoint Experiment in Denmark

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