Latest articles- The ‘nothing for something’ benefits system May 15, 2012 Ben Baumberg
- Should the government promote marriages among the disadvantaged? May 3, 2012 Brendan Saloner
- Immigration and the Moral Claim to Health Benefits April 17, 2012 Brendan Saloner
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Tag Archives: political attitudes
The work ethic in generous welfare states
A few weeks ago I asked ‘has the work ethic declined because of generous welfare states?’, looking at trends in the work ethic over time. In this (slightly delayed!) conclusion to the piece, I go on to compare the work … Continue reading
Democracy in danger as young people’s disenfranchisement accelerates
In a guest post, Craig Berrydraws attention to the increasing weakness of young people’s voters compared to older people’s votes – both because of the ageing population, and because young people in Britain are much, much less likely to vote. … Continue reading
Has the work ethic declined because of the welfare state?
‘The welfare state makes people lazy.’ Thus runs one of the oldest and most consistent critiques of the welfare state, echoing through the principle of ‘less eligibility’ in the Victorian Poor Law in Britain, right up until the present day. … Continue reading
Does College Make You Liberal?
“President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob… There are good decent men and women who go out and work hard every day and put their skills to test that aren’t taught … Continue reading
Posted in Articles
Tagged education, political attitudes, politics of inequality, public opinion
2 Comments
Conditionality and the deservingness of benefit claimants
In this, the final of three posts responding to John Humphrys’ Future State of Welfare, I consider whether the benefits system should be conditional on taking crap jobs or making people take steps back towards the labour market. It’s relatively easy to sit … Continue reading
The deservingness of benefit claimants (II)
In this second of three posts responding to John Humphrys’ Future State of Welfare, I look at his example of people who want to work – but won’t work in crap jobs. The critical questions are: do these people exist? If … Continue reading
The deservingness of benefit claimants (I)
This is the first of three linked posts on the ‘deservingness of benefit claimants’. In this post, I explain the title, speak about the BBC programme that prompted the posts, and suggest why the British public massively overestimate the levels … Continue reading
Posted in Articles
Tagged fairness, political attitudes, public opinion, welfare payments
8 Comments
Perceptions of inequalities in the world: food for thought
In a guest post Charlotte Cavaille reviews recent data on perceptions of inequality internationally, and amid some surprising findings finds both reasons to be optimistic and pessimistic… How did we do research before the internet?! Yesterday, I randomly bumped into a 2010 … Continue reading
What the public thinks of ‘fair chances’
The other week I wrote about how ‘fair chances’ are not necessarily ‘equal chances’, spurred by writings of the philosopher Elizabeth Anderson. In one of those satisfying coincidences that happen from time-to-time, these ideas helped explain a conundrum that Karen … Continue reading
When a fair chance isn’t an equal chance
Even without knowing him personally, it should be obvious from the title of his book on school choice, ‘How Not To Be A Hypocrite’, that Adam Swift is an interesting guy. This is the sort of moral philosophy that tries … Continue reading
