STV4313 – The Welfare State and Democratic Legitimacy
Course description
Course content
How have European welfare states changed in the 21st century and how do these changes affect political and democratic orientations among citizens?
The welfare state took shape in Europe during the 19th and 20th century. It consists of social insurance/ benefit schemes like pensions, unemployment benefits, sick pay, and parental leave. It also consists of services like health care, elder care, and childcare. The welfare state fundamentally restructured society and politics. Today, roughly half of state expenditures, and up to around a third of GDP, in advanced industrial democracies concern the welfare state. This makes it a crucial topic for political scientists.
European welfare states were once thought to be "immovable objects." But it is becoming clear that they are now changing in fundamental ways. Old social rights have been rolled back while new policy areas have expanded. What are the consequences of welfare state change for key political and democratic orientations among citizens?
The course is structured around two "umbrella concepts": welfare state support and political trust. Together, they indicate whether the policies and politics of mature welfare states enjoy popular democratic legitimacy.
Welfare state support includes support for, and evaluations of, redistribution and taxation policies. It also includes support for spending on specific areas and groups (e.g., health care, childcare, sick leave benefits, unemployment benefits, pensions). Together, these topics are important components of the economic left-right conflict (or "first dimension" conflict).
Political trust involves satisfaction with, and trust in, democratic institutions and actors. It also involves more diffuse support for democratic principles. Several of these topics are part of the increasingly influential "second dimension" conflict in Western democracies (a.k.a. the GAL-TAN dimension).
The course focuses especially on change in welfare state support and political trust.? How much change is there at the individual and the systemic level? What factors explain change? And what are the consequences on other outcomes of interest, for example support for populist parties?
The lectures are grouped in four parts. Part I considers key features of welfare state change and stability. Parts II and III cover welfare state support and political trust respectively. Part IV connects welfare state support and political trust. Are these mainly separate dimensions of state legitimacy or rather different sides of the same coin? Do they share key causes? Do they affect each other? Is political trust dependent on a well-functioning and strongly supported welfare state? Conversely, perhaps political trust—once it exists—builds continued support for the welfare state?
The course is relevant for students of comparative politics as well as students of public policy/administration. It is both an advanced course in political behaviour/public opinion and an advanced course about the role of public policy in democratic legitimacy-building.
Learning outcome
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
After the course you are expected to be able to explain:
- how welfare state policies are changing and how citizens relate and react to these changes.
- how welfare state support and political trust can be defined, what the key constituent dimensions are, and how they can be measured.
- the state-of-the-art in research on trends, causes, and consequences of welfare support and political trust, as well as the relationships between the two.
Skills
After the course you are expected to be able to:
- analyze current real-world debates concerning change and stability in welfare state support and political trust, using insights from state-of-the art research.
- analyze democratic implications of welfare state change.
Competences
You will be able to:
- critically evaluate cutting-edge research using different methodological approaches.
- synthesize, evaluate, and apply vast swathes of information.
- engage in academic dialogue and mutual feedback
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Apply for guest student status if you are admitted to another Master`s programme (deadline 1 August / 5 January).
For incoming students
All Master`s courses in Political Science must be registered manually by the Department, they will not appear in Studentweb. Contact your international coordinator at UiO.
Recommended previous knowledge
Bachelor's degree in Political Science or similar.
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with STV2313 – The Welfare State: Politics, Policies, and Feedback (discontinued).
Teaching
10 lectures/seminars.
The course runs for five weeks with two or more meetings held each week. The exam is held in the sixth week.
Compulsory activities:
- Participation in 2 out of 3 seminars. Participating in a seminar involves being present during the meeting as well as performing a writing/commenting task in Canvas (500-600 words; pass/fail).
?
In the event of illness or other valid reasons, you can apply for a valid absence or postponement of compulsory activity.
Apply for valid absence from or need for postponement of compulsory activity
Examination
4-hour written examination
You must have passed the compulsory activities in order to sit for the exam.
Examination support material
Students may use dictionaries at this exam. Dictionaries must be handed in before the examination. Please read regulations for dictionaries permitted at the examination.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.