The 60 Second Update

with Dr. Paul Rahe

2. How does a society become susceptible to the temptations of a welfare state?

When we get into trouble – when we lose our jobs, when we get ill, when we have lost our way – we long for help. In earlier times, there were powerful figures and institutions to whom we could look: great aristocrats, chartered corporations of various sorts, the Church. In democratic times, there are no powerful figures, and the institutions intermediary between the state and the individual tend to shrivel. So we turn to the state, and the ambitious individuals who manage the state are more than happy to lend us a helping hand – but they do so at a price. There is always a condition. We can get help if we give something in return – our freedom, our autonomy. Even when we do not get into trouble, we may want help – help in starting a business, help in going to school – and this help also comes at a price.

Question 3. What did previous generations understand about the welfare state that we don't?