Activation Paradigm: Why People Support Demanding Policies
Based on Van Hootegem, Rossetti, Abts & Meuleman (2023, International Journal of Social Welfare). They study why the public supports demanding active labour market policies (ALMPs) like stricter obligations, sanctions, and time limits.
Core idea
Support is tied to the activation policy paradigm: how people think benefits should be distributed (justice preferences) and why people think unemployment happens (attributions). These low‑level ideological beliefs predict support beyond standard left–right ideology or self‑interest.
Two pillars that predict support
- Distributive justice: preferring equity (benefits tied to prior contribution) or need (target only those most in need) → higher support for demanding ALMPs; preferring equality → lower support.
- Unemployment attributions:individual blame (laziness/lack of effort) → much higher support; attributing to social causes or fate → lower support. Individual fate (bad luck) does not raise support.
Methods in one line
Structural equation modeling on Belgium’s 2014 national election study (N=1,901). The paradigm variables added large explanatory power beyond self‑interest and left–right ideology.
What this means
- Activation support is rooted in reciprocity (equity) and selectivity (need), not just generic ideology.
- Blame‑based views of unemployment strongly align with support for sanctions and obligations.
- Findings fit a broader shift toward conditionality and individual responsibility in welfare debates.
Citation
Van Hootegem, A., Rossetti, F., Abts, K., & Meuleman, B. (2023). The ideological roots of the activation paradigm: How justice preferences and unemployment attributions shape public support for demanding activation policies. International Journal of Social Welfare. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.12628