government responses to poverty - new right Flashcards
Time frame?
1979 - 1997
Give 1 significant individual involved in the New Right.
Margaret Thatcher
What governement party is involved in the New Right?
Conservative
What was the main aim of the New Right? What did they believe in regards to taxation?
To roll back/shrink the welfare state by cutting welfare spending - they believed that taxation should be kept to a minimum.
What did the measures of the New Right aim to do?
- Raise quality through competition.
- Reduce inefficiency.
- Eliminate the dependeancy culture.
- Develop self-help principles.
Who did the New Right prefer to target benefits towards?
The ‘deserving’ poor e.g the sick, disabled, elderly + others unable to help themselves.
If benefits were only for the deserving poor, how was the rest of the population expected to manage?
Rely on their own resources - emphasises the self-help principles.
Where was responsibility for social housing moved to?
Moved away from the state and to third (voluntary) sector housing associations.
Where was responsibility for residential care moved to?
Moved from government authorities to private + voluntary providers.
Give 2 strengths of the New Right’s response to poverty.
- Their belief that benefits should not be universal and only for those in absoloute need allows for government spending to be distributed elsewhere.
- Having private organisations could be seen to improvie standards for services as they are constantly in competition - this has sometimes encouraged improvement of state provisions.
Give 2 criticisms of the New Right’s response to poverty.
- There is a lot of emphasis on the generosity of the welfare state - there are many in society who may need the support temporarily and do not intend to become dependent on welfare support.
- The encouragement of private welfare organisations competing with each other puts unnecessary pressure on people to be able to afford them - creates social inequality; therefore they may turn to family or charitable organisations.