Activities per year
Abstract
It is commonly argued that public support for the welfare state is in long-term decline in the UK. Evidence from the British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) is typically cited to support this claim, but it only stretches back to 1983. Few would disagree that the Thatcher years offered an unusual socio-political-economic context, which raises a question over whether the BSA's early 1980s baseline provides a misleading view on support for the welfare state over the longue durée. In this article, we explore this issue, piecing together data from the Beveridge era through to the present day, drawing on data from contemporary studies and surveys; opinion polls; and historical government surveys and reports. Our method is undoubtedly a ‘second best approach’, making use of often limited historical data, which means we remain cautious in offering bold findings. However, we argue there is some evidence to suggest the 1980s were an unusual moment, suggesting the decline in support for welfare is less dramatic than analysis of the BSA might make it seem, but also that support for the welfare state during the postwar consensus years was likely more equivocal than we often believe it to be from today's perspective, perhaps reflecting a tendency to reify this period as a ‘golden age’ of welfare and so underplaying the complexity of the politics of social policy in the pre-BSA period.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 691-711 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Social Policy and Administration |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 5 Oct 2016 |
Bibliographical note
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for detailsKeywords
- Public attitudes to welfare
- Public opinion
- Social attitudes
- Welfare state
Profiles
Activities
- 1 Invited talk
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The Foundation for International Studies of Social Security Annual Conference
Hudson, J. R. (Keynote/plenary speaker)
7 Jun 2017Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk