The Supply of Social Insurance

Francisco M. Gonzalez and Jean-Francois Wen

Cambridge Working Papers in Economics from Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge

Abstract: We propose a theory of the welfare state, in which social transfers are chosen by a governing group interacting with non-governing groups repeatedly. Social demands from the non-governing groups are credible because these groups have the ability to generate social conflict. In this context social insurance is supplied as an equilibrium response to income risks within a self-enforcing social contract. When we explore the implications of such a view of the social contract, we find four main determinants of the welfare state: the degree of aggregate income risk; the heterogeneity of group-specific income risks; the public administration’s ability to implement group-specific transfers; and the ability of the nongoverning groups to coordinate their social demands. We also analyze the link between public good provision and social insurance.

Pages: 24
Date: 2007-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ias and nep-soc
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cam:camdae:0772

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