Citation

Toikko T, Rantanen T. J. Int. Comp. Soc. Policy 2017; 33(3): 201-224.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/21699763.2017.1302892

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between the welfare state models and social political attitudes. The data are based on the sixth round of the European Social Survey. The study revealed a mechanism of how the relationship between concrete and abstract attitudes differs between the welfare states. In the Anglo-Saxon and Nordic welfare states the relationship is a positive one, which indicates that the welfare state has a broad support among citizens. In the Continental, Eastern and Southern welfare states the relationship is a negative one. This means that the less satisfied citizens are with governmental measures, the more positive their attitudes are regarding protecting citizens against poverty. Also the study showed that the welfare state model directly influences citizens' concrete attitudes and indirectly influences abstract poverty attitudes. In this sense, the welfare state model is seen more as an attitudinal perception than an actual social policy.

Language: en

Keywords

Social policy; social political attitudes; welfare state