This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Strangers In Their Own Land" by Arlie Russell Hochschild. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is the welfare state? Why do conservatives distrust and dislike the welfare state?
The “welfare” state refers to government social systems like disability, unemployment, and more. The welfare state also includes public services like the Post Office and infrastructure. Conservatives believe that others, like glamorous “welfare queens” take advantage of government hand-outs while they struggle and work hard for their money.
Read more about the conservative views on the welfare state below.
Against the Welfare State
A pillar of conservatives beliefs is that conservatives are against the welfare state. They view the welfare system as handouts that are given to the undeserving, while they work hard and have their money stolen by taxes.
Against “Poor Me”
Although they claim to harbor no racial animostiy, many Tea Party conservatives describe their opposition to the welfare state in highly racialized terms. In attacking affirmative action, he says that no one should be hired for a job simply to fill racial quotas, and that there are plenty of jobs available for those willing to work.
Deep personal stories often inform people’s political views, and it’s no different for those on the right like Mayor Hardey. He claims that he was able to work his way up from relative poverty because his job at the Phillips 66 manufacturing plant gave him an opportunity to prove himself and take personal responsibility for his life—and that immigrants and racial minorities face no barriers that prevent them from doing the same, without government handouts from the welfare system.
Hardey’s belief in his own deep story and the role that he believes industry played in his own success are what shapes his anti-government politics. Decrying what he describes as a culture of “poor me,” he views all programs designed to ameliorate poverty and redress economic inequality as unjust handouts to the lazy and undeserving.
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Here's what you'll find in our full Strangers In Their Own Land summary :
- What drives right-wing politics in America
- How a lack of empathy is increasing the partisan divide
- Why Republican politicians remain popular even if their policies don't help their voters
