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Social Insurance and Public Assistance in the Twentieth-Century United States

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  • Fishback, Price V.

Abstract

The growth of American governments in the twentieth century included large increases in funds for social insurance and public assistance. Social insurance has increased far more than public assistance, so “rise in the social insurance state” is a far better description of the century than “rise in the welfare state.” The United States has increased total spending in these areas as much or more as have European countries, but the U.S. spending has relied less heavily on government programs. In the U.S. states largely determine the benefits for many of the public assistance and social insurance programs, leading to large variation in the benefits across the country. I develop estimates of these benefits across time and place and compare them to the poverty line, manufacturing earnings and benefits, state per capita incomes in the US, as well as GDP per capita in countries throughout the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Fishback, Price V., 2020. "Social Insurance and Public Assistance in the Twentieth-Century United States," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 80(2), pages 311-350, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:80:y:2020:i:2:p:311-350_1
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    Cited by:

    1. Gregori Galofré-Vilà & Martin McKee & David Stuckler, 2022. "Quantifying the mortality impact of the 1935 old-age assistance," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 26(1), pages 62-77.
    2. Ferrara, Andreas & Testa, Patrick A., 2020. "Resource Blessing? Oil, Risk, and Religious Communities as Social Insurance in the U.S. South," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 513, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).

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