Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada
Although Canada is known as a liberal welfare regime, universality is a key issue in that country, as several major social programs are universal in both their core principles and coverage rules. The objective of this article is to discuss the meaning of universality and related concepts before expl...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cogitatio
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Social Inclusion |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/2445 |
| _version_ | 1818011165126557696 |
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| author | Daniel Béland Gregory P. Marchildon Michael J. Prince |
| author_facet | Daniel Béland Gregory P. Marchildon Michael J. Prince |
| author_sort | Daniel Béland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although Canada is known as a liberal welfare regime, universality is a key issue in that country, as several major social programs are universal in both their core principles and coverage rules. The objective of this article is to discuss the meaning of universality and related concepts before exploring the development of individual universal social programs in Canada, with a particular focus on health care and old-age pensions. More generally, the article shows how universality can exist and become resilient within a predominantly liberal welfare regime due to the complex and fragmented nature of modern social policy systems, in which policy types vary from policy area to policy area, and even from program to program within the same policy area. The broader analysis of health care and old-age pensions as policy areas illustrates this general claim. This analysis looks at the historical development and the politics of provincial universal health coverage since the late 1950s and at the evolution of the federal Old Age Security program since its creation in the early 1950s. The main argument of this article is that universality as a set of principles remains stronger in health care than in pensions yet key challenges remain in each of these policy areas. Another contention is that there are multiple and contested universalisms in social policy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:04:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0fff640add514cdab0131b78b2b87a05 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2803 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T06:04:17Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Inclusion |
| spelling | doaj.art-0fff640add514cdab0131b78b2b87a052022-12-22T02:08:37ZengCogitatioSocial Inclusion2183-28032020-03-018112413210.17645/si.v8i1.24451360Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in CanadaDaniel Béland0Gregory P. Marchildon1Michael J. Prince2McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, McGill University, CanadaInstitute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto, Canada / Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, CanadaFaculty of Human & Social Development, University of Victoria, CanadaAlthough Canada is known as a liberal welfare regime, universality is a key issue in that country, as several major social programs are universal in both their core principles and coverage rules. The objective of this article is to discuss the meaning of universality and related concepts before exploring the development of individual universal social programs in Canada, with a particular focus on health care and old-age pensions. More generally, the article shows how universality can exist and become resilient within a predominantly liberal welfare regime due to the complex and fragmented nature of modern social policy systems, in which policy types vary from policy area to policy area, and even from program to program within the same policy area. The broader analysis of health care and old-age pensions as policy areas illustrates this general claim. This analysis looks at the historical development and the politics of provincial universal health coverage since the late 1950s and at the evolution of the federal Old Age Security program since its creation in the early 1950s. The main argument of this article is that universality as a set of principles remains stronger in health care than in pensions yet key challenges remain in each of these policy areas. Another contention is that there are multiple and contested universalisms in social policy.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/2445canadahealth careliberal welfare regimeold-age pensionssocial policyuniversality |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Béland Gregory P. Marchildon Michael J. Prince Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada Social Inclusion canada health care liberal welfare regime old-age pensions social policy universality |
| title | Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada |
| title_full | Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada |
| title_fullStr | Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada |
| title_short | Understanding Universality within a Liberal Welfare Regime: The Case of Universal Social Programs in Canada |
| title_sort | understanding universality within a liberal welfare regime the case of universal social programs in canada |
| topic | canada health care liberal welfare regime old-age pensions social policy universality |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/2445 |
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