Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State (2024)

Horn, A., Jensen, C., & van Kersbergen, K. (2020). Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State. Journal of Social Policy, 49(1), 146-165. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279419000175

Horn, Alexander ; Jensen, Carsten ; van Kersbergen, Kees. / Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State. In: Journal of Social Policy. 2020 ; Vol. 49, No. 1. pp. 146-165.

@article{6183fbca9870472488fa53a6947aefea,

title = "Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State",

abstract = "This article explores the moral politics of the welfare state and the social conflicts that underlie them. We argue that existing research on the moralism of redistributive and social policy preferences is overly one dimensional, with a longstanding concentration on attitudes toward welfare state beneficiaries. To widen our understanding of the phenomenon, we introduce the concept of motive attribution: that is, how people answer the question “what drives others to take the positions that they hold?”. Doing so allows us to shift the subject of moralistic attitudes, with a move toward uncovering what citizens think of those who hold a given social policy stance. The article then lays out a first systematic overview of motive attributions using an original dataset built from nationally representative surveys conducted in ten Western democracies. Comparing responses across these countries, we draw out important cross-national differences in ascribed motives, including within welfare state regime types.",

keywords = "welfare state, redistribution, public opinion, Western Europe, United States",

author = "Alexander Horn and Carsten Jensen and {van Kersbergen}, Kees",

year = "2020",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1017/S0047279419000175",

language = "English",

volume = "49",

pages = "146--165",

journal = "Journal of Social Policy",

issn = "0047-2794",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "1",

}

Horn, A, Jensen, C & van Kersbergen, K 2020, 'Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State', Journal of Social Policy, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 146-165. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047279419000175

Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State. / Horn, Alexander; Jensen, Carsten; van Kersbergen, Kees.
In: Journal of Social Policy, Vol. 49, No. 1, 01.2020, p. 146-165.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State

AU - Horn, Alexander

AU - Jensen, Carsten

AU - van Kersbergen, Kees

PY - 2020/1

Y1 - 2020/1

N2 - This article explores the moral politics of the welfare state and the social conflicts that underlie them. We argue that existing research on the moralism of redistributive and social policy preferences is overly one dimensional, with a longstanding concentration on attitudes toward welfare state beneficiaries. To widen our understanding of the phenomenon, we introduce the concept of motive attribution: that is, how people answer the question “what drives others to take the positions that they hold?”. Doing so allows us to shift the subject of moralistic attitudes, with a move toward uncovering what citizens think of those who hold a given social policy stance. The article then lays out a first systematic overview of motive attributions using an original dataset built from nationally representative surveys conducted in ten Western democracies. Comparing responses across these countries, we draw out important cross-national differences in ascribed motives, including within welfare state regime types.

AB - This article explores the moral politics of the welfare state and the social conflicts that underlie them. We argue that existing research on the moralism of redistributive and social policy preferences is overly one dimensional, with a longstanding concentration on attitudes toward welfare state beneficiaries. To widen our understanding of the phenomenon, we introduce the concept of motive attribution: that is, how people answer the question “what drives others to take the positions that they hold?”. Doing so allows us to shift the subject of moralistic attitudes, with a move toward uncovering what citizens think of those who hold a given social policy stance. The article then lays out a first systematic overview of motive attributions using an original dataset built from nationally representative surveys conducted in ten Western democracies. Comparing responses across these countries, we draw out important cross-national differences in ascribed motives, including within welfare state regime types.

KW - welfare state

KW - redistribution

KW - public opinion

KW - Western Europe

KW - United States

U2 - 10.1017/S0047279419000175

DO - 10.1017/S0047279419000175

M3 - Article

SN - 0047-2794

VL - 49

SP - 146

EP - 165

JO - Journal of Social Policy

JF - Journal of Social Policy

IS - 1

ER -

Horn A, Jensen C, van Kersbergen K. Motive Attribution and the Moral Politics of the Welfare State. Journal of Social Policy. 2020 Jan;49(1):146-165. doi: 10.1017/S0047279419000175