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The Lost Colony (Paperback)
James F B 1826 Raymond, Richard Hooker 1918 Wilmer
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During the depression of the 1930s, both the United States and
New Zealand passed a Social Security Act. Both countries were
developed nations of the "new world," and each statute was an
omnibus measure aimed at protecting citizens from the poverty so
visible at the time. The two acts, however, were very different.
The New Zealand measure was absolute, promising everyone medical
care and a reasonable income in every circumstance. It
redistributed income downward. The U.S. act addressed only a
handful of risks, and each of its two main programs covered less
than half of the population. Its benefits were funded by regressive
taxes, and the main programs promised more help, not to persons in
greater need, but to those from higher-paying jobs.
Scholars of comparative public policy have tried to account for
such differences among welfare states. Their explanations have
commonly stressed economic, cultural, bureaucratic, or political
differences among countries. The character of life in these two
countries makes it possible to conclude simply that the United
States and New Zealand passed contrasting acts because their
histories were different. Richards argues that this conclusion is
too vague. After all, the Social Security Acts did not materialize
from national ambiance. He shows that the contrasts between the two
systems stemmed from national differences that were inveterate,
with the differences between their political systems being the most
direct influence. By closely examining the two systems of
government, Richards reveals that the U.S. Social Security Act
reinforced the country's inequalities while New Zealand's act
reflected that nation's legislative and electoral arrangements,
which allowed bold policy-making by politicians who knew the pain
of poverty.
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