abstract: 'Increasing wage inequality, strong labour market divides and welfare

  retrenchment are widely believed to result in more polarised public

  opinion towards the welfare state. The present study examined if

  attitudes towards workfare policies have become more polarised in Europe

  over recent decades. To achieve this aim, the study analysed public

  opinion data from the European Value Study (EVS) from 23 European

  countries in the years 1990-2008, using multi-level regression analysis.

  It is found that individuals who are most affected by workfare - the

  unemployed, the poor and the young - most strongly oppose workfare

  concepts. Against expectations, there was no evidence of an increasing

  polarisation of attitudes in Europe. Attitudinal cleavages based on

  employment status, income and education have remained stable.

  Differences between age groups have even dissolved because younger

  cohorts increasingly favour strict workfare policies. The results

  suggest that warnings of increasing social conflicts and an erosion of

  solidarity in European societies are exaggerated.'
affiliation: 'Buss, C (Corresponding Author), Univ Mannheim, Collaborat Res Ctr Polit
  Econ Reforms, L13,17, D-68131 Mannheim, Germany.

  Buss, Christopher, Univ Mannheim, Collaborat Res Ctr Polit Econ Reforms, L13,17,
  D-68131 Mannheim, Germany.'
author: Buss, Christopher
author-email: christopher.buss2@gmail.com
author_list:
- family: Buss
  given: Christopher
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1111/ijsw.12368
eissn: 1468-2397
files: []
issn: 1369-6866
journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE
keywords: 'public attitudes; welfare policy; workfare; cleavages; Europe; social

  policy'
keywords-plus: 'LABOR-MARKET REFORMS; WELFARE-STATE; SUPPORT; CITIZENSHIP; PREFERENCES;

  INSIDERS; POLITICS; SWEDEN; PATHS; RISKS'
language: English
month: OCT
number: 4, SI
number-of-cited-references: '69'
pages: 431-441
papis_id: 3dd900096e3e9ce1f40bda7cfe91c2fb
ref: Buss2019publicopinion
times-cited: '3'
title: 'Public opinion towards workfare policies in Europe: Polarisation of attitudes
  in times of austerity?'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000485051100008
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '6'
volume: '28'
web-of-science-categories: Social Work
year: '2019'