What Individual-Level Factors Are Associated with Public Attitudes Towards Government Responsibility for Social Welfare? A Systematic Review

Abstract

Based on a quantitative systematic review design, this present study aims to synthesize the relationships between individual-level factors and welfare attitudes as guided by prevalent theoretical perspectives on welfare attitudes. In addition, this study also examined these perspectives in terms of validity and generalizability.

Eight studies were included in this review. Synthesis of findings of these studies gave the following results: (a) more positive self-interest factors such as higher social class, higher income, and higher education level are associated with more negative welfare attitudes; (b) more left and/or liberal political values are associated with more positive welfare attitudes; (c) vulnerable, underrepresented, and marginalized social identities such as racial minority status and immigration status are associated with more positive welfare attitudes; (d) stronger perception of individualism-related values is associated with more negative welfare attitudes; and (e) stronger perception of collectivism-related values is associated with more positive welfare attitudes.

This review supports mainstream theoretical and conceptual frameworks in welfare attitudes, including the self-interest framework, political ideology, social identity theory, and theory of cultural values. This review acknowledges lack of comparison of the explanatory power of different individual-level factors. Overall, in line with prior theoretical and empirical evidence, this review argues for inclusion of multidimensional individual-level variables in examination of welfare attitudes.