How to Study Welfare State Legitimacy. An Analytical Model Inspired by the Work of Wim van Oorschot. In: T. Laenen et al., (Eds.). Leading Social Policy Analysis from the Front. Essays in Honour of Wim van Oorschot. Leuven: Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven.
Abstract. In this essay, we merge Wim van Oorchot’s two main contributions to the welfare attitudes literature in one analytical framework, which asserts that in order to fully grasp the social legitimacy of a welfare state, one should study popular attitudes towards its various provisions directed at different target groups (for example, unemployment benefits and social assistance), and within these provisions, towards its different dimensions (for example, redistribution design and intended and unintended outcomes). We hope this framework will serve as a valuable roadmap for future researchers interested in charting the social legitimacy of any given welfare state.