The New Social Question: Rethinking the Welfare State

摘要: The welfare state has come under severe pressure internationally, partly for the well-known reasons of slowing economic growth and declining confidence in public sector. According to influential social theorist Pierre Rosanvallon, however, there is also a deeper less familiar reason crisis state. He shows here that fundamental practical philosophical justification traditional policies--that all citizens share equal risks--has been undermined by intellectual change. If we wish achieve goals solidarity civic equality which was founded, Rosanvallon argues, must radically rethink programs.Rosanvallon begins tracing history its founding premise risks, especially risks illness unemployment, are equally distributed unpredictable. this idea become untenable because diversification advances statistical risk analysis. It truer than ever before--and far more susceptible analysis--that some individuals will face much greater others their jobs lifestyle choices. argues policies be narrowly targeted. And he draws on evidence from around world, particular France United States, show such programs as unemployment insurance workfare could better reflect individual needs by, example, making explicit use contracts between providers receivers benefits. His arguments have broad implications everywhere our understanding citizenship modern democracies economies.