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Do welfare states boost economic growth, or stunt it? It is not an easy question to answer. The evidence suggests it is a wash - the positive and negative effects balance out.

The same basic idea links every welfare state: that the ultimate responsibility for ensuring people don't starve on the street should lie not with family, or charity, or private insurers, but with government. This idea is not without its enemies. It is possible, after all, to mother too much. Every parent instinctively knows that there's a balance: protect, but don't mollycoddle; nurture resilience, not dependence. And if overprotective parenting stunts personal growth, might too-generous welfare states stunt economic growth?

Presenter: Tim Harford
Producer: Ben Crighton.

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10 minutes

Last on

Wed 18 Oct 2017 12:04

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  • Wed 18 Oct 2017 12:04

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