THE welfare state plays host to the most dysfunctional relationship in British politics. The main source of conflict is the ongoing attempt by politicians at balancing four competing objectives: providing an adequate minimum income that protects the poor from destitution; incentivising that same group of citizens to get a job and climb up the pay ladder, so they eventually achieve financial independence; simplifying the means of administering this system; and limiting the size of the resulting bill that taxpayers are asked to meet.
Get our daily newsletter
Successive generations of welfare reformers have tried, and often failed, to strike […]
Full Post at www-economist-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu