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ACCE Chapter 5 the Welfare State in Europe

The document discusses the evolution and diversity of the welfare state in Europe, highlighting its historical foundations, including the Bismarckian and Beveridge systems. It presents a comparative analysis of different welfare state regimes and their impacts on social stratification, as well as the challenges and reforms facing these systems in the 21st century. The conclusion emphasizes the existence of multiple social protection models rather than a singular European model, alongside ongoing debates regarding labor market transformations and family policies.

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7 views

ACCE Chapter 5 the Welfare State in Europe

The document discusses the evolution and diversity of the welfare state in Europe, highlighting its historical foundations, including the Bismarckian and Beveridge systems. It presents a comparative analysis of different welfare state regimes and their impacts on social stratification, as well as the challenges and reforms facing these systems in the 21st century. The conclusion emphasizes the existence of multiple social protection models rather than a singular European model, alongside ongoing debates regarding labor market transformations and family policies.

Uploaded by

mademoiselleyao
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 5

The Welfare State in


Europe
Introduction
• The issue of social protection and state
intervention to ensure social rights for
individuals
• Europe as a pioneer in social protection: the
idea of a « European social mode »?
• What differences exist between countries
(comparative perspective)?
I. Europe, the Cradle of Social
Security

Why was Europe pioneer?

- Factual perspective
- Ideological perspective (birth of a debate)
I.1. The Historical Evolution of
Social Protection
1. Early forms of social protection in
Europe: the « Poor Laws »

- The issue of poverty in England


- the Poor Laws (1601, 1662, 1672)
2. Milestones in the Establishment of Social
Protection

The birth of the notion of « social rights » in three


phases:

• Experimentation (1880-1914)
• Consolidation (1920-1940)
• Generalization (1945-1980)
I.2. The Foundations of Social
Protection
1. The Bismarckien system
* Implementation of the first social laws in the
late 19th century:
- 1881: Law requiring employers to insure
against workplace accidents
- 1883: Mandatory health insurance for low-
wage workers
-1884: Employer obligation to subscribe to
workplace accident insurance
- 1889: Old-age and disability insurance
= Codified as the Social Insurance Code in
1911

• A system based on:


– Social insurance
– Social rights tied to professional status

= A pioneering model emulated by neighboring


countries…
2. The Beveridge System

• Originating from a White Paper (1942),


leading to three major laws in England:

- Family Allowance Act 1945


- National Health Service 1946
- National Assistance Act 1948
• Three principles (3 U):
- Universality
- Unity
- Uniformity
3) Two Examples: France and United States
- The French system: A hybrid model
(combining both logics)
- The American system: Minimal social
protection / Liberal logic: Private insurance
II. Forms of the Welfare State
in EUROPE
II.1. Definition: Welfare State

- Origins of the term « Welfare State »


- Encompasses state interventions on social
issues through social protection institutions
State intervention has multiple dimensions

• Objectives: Protection / Redistribution


• Consequences: Social / Economic
• Eight functions according to Eurostat: Health and
medical care / Disability / Old age / Survivors /
Family allowances / Unemployment benefits /
Housing allowances / Social exclusion... with
national variations.
II.2. Understanding the Diversity of
Welfare States: Gosta Esping-Andersen
Typology

• Esping-Andersen: Danish socio-economist (b.


1947), professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra,
Barcelona.
Les trois mondes de l’Etat-Providence. Essai sur
le capitalisme moderne, PUF, 1999
Trois leçons sur l’Etat-Providence, avec Bruno
Palier, La république des idées, Seuil, 2008
= Comparative study of social protection
systems in Europe.

• How are social expenditures structured?


• What institutional arrangements exist?
= Concept of a regime/system (legal and
organizational)
1) Building the Model

• Types of rights / Degree of decommodification


- Three sources of social protection: Market /
State / Civil society
Welfare State = a form of decommodification:
« The introduction of modern social rights means
individuals can maintain their livelihood without
relying on the market »
- Different combinations across countries
- Example: Public spending impacts social
stratification
• Impact on social stratification
Different systems / Different redistributive logics

• Example: In France, family allowances, pensions, and


unemployment benefits involve low redistribution,
whereas the RMI (Minimum Integration Income) and RSA
(Active Solidarity Income) involve high redistribution.

• Empirical study on the labor market, unemployment


benefits, training programs, the pension system, and the
healthcare system.
Empirical Study
Employment/unemplyment rates
• Countries with a high employment rate /
training policy / low unemployment rate
Norway:
UR: 3,3%
ER: 75,3%
TR: 17,8%
Other Examples…
• Espagne:
UR: 22,8%
ER: 58,6%
TR: 10,8%
France:
UR: 9,8%
ER: 63,8%
TR: 5,0%
2. The Three Welfare State Regimes

• Three regimes
- Social-democratic regime (Nordic Europe, Dk,
Netherlands)
- Conservatice-corporatist regime (Continental
Europe: Germany, France, Italy, Austria,
Belgium…)
- Liberal or residual regime (UK, USA, Ireland,
New Zeland, Canada, Australia, Iceland)
Synthesis of Principles
Liberal (residual) Corporatist Social-democratic
(conservatice) regime

Degree of Weak reference to the An intermediate Fort


decommodificati central Market (±) level of Objectif de
on decommodificatio démarchandisation
n maximale

Type of Lower economic Intermediate level Maximal reduction


redistribution / inequalities, with of inequalities, but of social
Structure of weaker social barriers separation of social inequalities, with
social groups the aim of social
stratification fluidity

Country (type) EU- UK Germany Sweden


critiques

• Typology focused on unemployment and


pensions

• Ignores gender issues and family policy


specifics
example; Differences between France,
Germany, and Italy
III. Challenges and Reforms:
What European Social Model
for the 21st entury?
III. 1. The Issues
a) The « new social question »
- Aging population: Demographic challenge
- Inequality
- Poverty/exclusion
- Social change
- Inequality of opportunity
b) Evaluating Welfare State Models

• Implicit evaluation by Esping-Andersen:


Porblems posed by the three regimes
• The Sapir Report (2005): « Globalization
and the Reform of European Social
Models »
Classifies four European social models: Nordic /
Anglo-Saxon / Continental / Mediterranean

Ranking base on two criteria: Efficiency / Equity

Equity Efficiency

Nordic countries + +
Anglo-saxon - +
Continental + -

Mediterranean - -
III.2. Reforms

a) Two types of reforms over the past 20 years


- Strenghthening path dependency: Aligning
with national systems under constraints (e.g.,
Maastricht criteria)
- Introducing new logics
Example: France’s new social protection
instruments:
• 1988: RMI/ RSA (Revenu de Solidarité
Active, minimum integration income and
active solidarity income) in 2009
• 1990: CSG (Generalized Social
Contribution)
• 1999: CMU (Universal Health Coverage)
b) What European Social Model for the 21st
Century?

• First view: Social protection hinders market


efficiency
• Second view: Social protection and equity
enhance economic efficiency (Nordic
model?)
Conclusion: A Eurpean Social
Protection Model?
• Multiple models rather than a single one…
• European social model under scrutiny
• New debates:
- Labor market transformations: Social
insecurity/ « Flexicurity»
- Family policies: Public childcare services?

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