Welfare State and Political Learning

Abstract

This chapter examines the interactions of young unemployed with the state and the ways in which they perceive unemployment agencies and policies, and how this impacts on their readiness to engage in politics. The chapter shows how the political engagement of unemployed youth rests on different perceptions of the way in which the state deals with unemployment. Such perceptions are seen as being part of a process of political learning shaping political attitudes and, in turn, lead to different outcomes in terms of political engagement. It addresses the following research question: To what extent does the perception that young unemployed have of the role and effectiveness of policies aimed to counter the negative effects of unemployment affect their political engagement? Keywords Welfare state Á Political learning Á Unemployment policies Á Unemployment office Á Social aid office INTERACTING WITH THE STATE A growing number of scholars are interested in the study of policy feedback (Campbell 2012; Kumlin and Stadelmann-Steffen 2014; Mettler 2002; Soss 1999), examining how the design of public policies shapes processes of political learning. The core idea in this line of research is that when interacting with the state and, in particular, with welfare state institutions, people establish a specific relationship to the state and forge