[lbo-talk] AFP: "In US, record numbers are plunged into poverty: report"

Wojtek Sokolowski swsokolowski at yahoo.com
Sun Feb 25 20:56:49 PST 2007


---- "B." <docile_body at yahoo.com> wrote:


> Welfare state growing despite overhauls
>
> By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer
> 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
>

[WS:] That indeed is consistent with OECD stats showing a growth of government social spending under Bush from 14.6% of GDP to 16.2% of GDP. BTW, it fell under CLinton from 15.1% to 14.6% http://www.oecd.org/document/2/0,2340,en_2649_34635_31612994_1_1_1_1,00.html

The point is, however, that this level is dismally low comapring to EU, where it is on average over 23% of the GDP, and in the Scandinavian countries - closer to 30%.

One of the biggest differences between the US and the EU in this respect - in addition to the above quouted percentages of the GDP - is that in the US "social welfare" is for the most part viewed as assistance to the poor (even though social security is a big part of it), whereas in EU it is a social safety net benefiting the entire society, not just the poor.

One of the key factors accounting for that difference is that in Europe social welfare was, for the most part, an outcome of class based politics, especially organized labor. In the US, by contrast, it was a product of political establishement that cut across class lines, (cf. Theda Skocpol, _Protecting Soldiers and Mothers: The Politcial Origins of Social Policy in the United States_) - and often opposed by organized labor.

Wojtek

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