Matters of Measurement: Investigating the Universal Welfare State
Abstract
This master’s thesis investigates the mechanisms leading to the development of robust and generous welfare states, focusing on the ongoing debate around targeting versus universalism in welfare state studies. By leveraging multiple welfare state datasets and expanding the scope of welfare outcomes using cross-national time-series analyses, it uncovers the pivotal role that measurement plays in understanding universalism's effects. This research unveils substantial variations in outcomes based on the universalism measures used, thus highlighting how our perception of the welfare state is deeply entwined with our methodological choices. The findings of this study not only carve new paths in the field of comparative welfare state literature but also set the stage for future research agendas. This work is a critical step towards more fully comprehending the intricacies of the welfare state debate, alongside the importance of conceptual precision and measurement alignment in welfare state studies.