Hudson, John Robert orcid.org/0000-0001-7323-384X, Lunt, Neil orcid.org/0000-0002-4501-1999, Hamilton, Charlotte Marie et al. (3 more authors) (2016) Exploring Public Attitudes to Welfare over the Longue Durée:Re-examination of Survey Evidence from Beveridge, Beatlemania, Blair and Beyond. Social Policy and Administration. pp. 691-711. ISSN 1467-9515
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.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 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 details |
Keywords: | Public attitudes to welfare,Public opinion,Social attitudes,Welfare state |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Social Policy and Social Work (York) The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > The York Law School The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Education (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 23 Dec 2016 15:16 |
Last Modified: | 09 Mar 2025 00:05 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12256 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/spol.12256 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:109855 |
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