In the past 30 years, the apparent consensus that government should promote social welfare has frayed. Much of the argument against the welfare state is that welfare policies are often counterproductive, exacerbating the problems of poverty and insecurity that they are supposed to solve. This text begins by rejecting these kinds of arguments, holding that the real issues are moral: the reason welfare provision is controversial is not disagreement about the effects of social policy, but disagreement about the moral basis for policies to promote social welfare. After a brief survey of theories of ethics, the author sets out a strong case for the welfare state drawing on all of these theories. The arguments of each chapter are summarized in a closing section, and the final chapter sets out a marvelously condensed statement of ‘twenty-six ... principal reasons for the provision of welfare.’ The book is clear and accessible, very much a primer, and the author is a distinguished authority on social policy. An excellent place to start, it invites deeper explorations of these issues.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.

Choice Reviews

The welfare state has long faced a strong ideological attack from the right. In this concise book, Paul Spicker formulates a normative defense of the welfare state by outlining key arguments that justify social provision. Clearly written, Arguments for Welfare is must read for students of social policy seeking to explore the normative foundations of welfare.

Daniel Béland, Canada Research Chair in Public Policy and Professor, Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

Professor Spicker’s particular strength is his deep and wide-ranging analysis of the fundamental reasons why states organise their people’s welfare, combining scholarship with readability. His focus is not the details of systems but the foundations of the variety of state activities in morality, philosophy and functional reasons. His balanced review of arguments for and against state involvement and the complexity of their interactions is historical and highly topical, which makes it essential for a wide range of users from policy-makers of all persuasions to students.

John Veit-Wilson, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy of Northumbria University and Guest Member of Sociology at Newcastle University