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The welfare state in turbulent times: a perspective from the United States

In: Welfare States in a Turbulent Era

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  • Alex Waddan

Abstract

The US welfare state constantly lives in turbulent times with the value of government support for the public consistently contested. In the circumstances, the pressures of the financial crisis and Covid-19 would seem likely to expose the fragilities and fragmentation of the existing social supports and leave many households facing significant economic vulnerability. As it is, the story of the US government’s response to these two crises is complex. There were significant expansions of social supports in order to protect households against the immediate economic pressures. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act did not bring about universal health coverage but it did reduce the numbers of uninsured, and in early 2021 a big expansion of the Child Tax Credit reduced child poverty significantly. That measure proved short-lived. This chapter examines these developments through an institutional lens, exploring why some measures proved durable and others not.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex Waddan, 2023. "The welfare state in turbulent times: a perspective from the United States," Chapters, in: Bent Greve (ed.), Welfare States in a Turbulent Era, chapter 14, pages 210-225, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    • Handle: RePEc:elg:eechap:21743_14
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    File URL: https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781803926841.00021
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