Chapter 16 Flashcards
(12 cards)
A liberal welfare state may be seen as:
The correct answers are:
Having low levels of social rights and making use of means-testing and/or other access criteria.
Focusing on the poor and those viewed as vulnerable in society.
A liberal welfare state typically emphasizes limited government intervention, with low levels of social rights. It tends to rely on means-testing and other access criteria to provide social benefits, often targeting only those in need (such as the poor and vulnerable). Unlike more generous welfare systems (like social democratic ones), liberal welfare states usually offer less universal coverage and focus more on minimizing state involvement.
The other options—comparatively high levels of public social spending and subordinating the welfare state to the church—do not typically apply to liberal welfare states, as these states often have lower levels of public spending and secular approaches to welfare.
True or false?
In the liberal model, the state is seen as seeking to encourage individuals to work through the
provision of only low levels of benefits, and, rather than providing extensive welfare support,
strongly promoting individual provision through the private market.
Choose one option.
True
False
True
This is true. In the liberal welfare model, the state typically provides only minimal welfare benefits and aims to encourage individual work and self-reliance. It does not offer extensive welfare support but instead promotes individual provision through the private market, such as private insurance or savings, as seen in countries like the United States or the United Kingdom.
Q: What are the main features of a liberal welfare state according to Esping-Andersen? MTB, MSI, ROTM
A: Means-tested benefits, minimal state involvement, reliance on the market
Q: Which countries are typically categorized as liberal welfare states? UCANUI
A: The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland (with some debate about Japan and Switzerland).
Q: What are some major criticisms of Esping-Andersen’s liberal welfare regime concept? IOG, H, D,
A: It overlooks gender, healthcare, decentralization (spreading out power). The label “liberal” is also seen as ideologically unclear.
Q: Why is the term “liberal” considered problematic in this context?
A: Because liberalism has many meanings—ranging from market-oriented minimalism to political individual freedoms—and does not clearly define a specific welfare model.
Q: How have critiques challenged Esping-Andersen’s typology over time?
A: Scholars have shown that welfare regimes shift, with some countries moving between categories or combining features from multiple models, especially due to neoliberal influences.
Q: How does the US fit into the liberal model, and what complexities are involved?
A: It’s often considered the purest liberal model, but federalism, tax credits, and high private spending complicate its classification.
Q: What is the role of the private market in liberal welfare states?
.
A: It’s central. The state plays a residual role, stepping in only when the market or family fails, and private provision is common and often incentivized
Q: Can countries fit into more than one welfare regime type?
A: Yes. Some scholars suggest countries can exhibit hybrid traits or fall between typologies, depending on the policy area and timeframe.
Q: What impact did critiques about gender have on welfare regime theory?
A: They highlighted the need to consider caregiving, women’s labor, and family roles, which were ignored in the original typology.
Q: Despite the criticisms, why is the liberal welfare state concept still useful?
A: It provides a framework to compare systems, understand ideological trends (like neoliberalism), and track changes in welfare policy over time.
