The Determinants of Public Attitudes Toward the Welfare State

This paper develops and tests a causal model of the determinants of public attitudes toward welfare state programs. It proposes that support of welfare state programs is a function of self-interest and the resultant identification with dominant social ideologies—work ethic and social equality. Identification with these ideologies, in turn, affects endorsement of social rights and, hence, support of welfare state programs. Using data from the 1983 Detroit Area Study, the model is generally confirmed. The data also show, as expected, some important differences in the effects of the social ideologies on support of contributory vs. means-tested programs. The findings suggest that the social groups supporting the welfare state are the economically and socially vulnerable who identify with social democratic values.