Theory 4: people only care about poor people in the in-group. People like welfare when it helps people similar to themselves, and hate it when it “enables” stupid lazy people in the out-group. This is often heavily racial—the countries with the most generous welfare systems are also the most racial homogeneous. So whether one votes in favor of welfare is determined by who they imagine being helped. This can often change rapidly, leaving public opinion on welfare to be a confusing mess.
Theory 4: people only care about poor people in the in-group. People like welfare when it helps people similar to themselves, and hate it when it “enables” stupid lazy people in the out-group. This is often heavily racial—the countries with the most generous welfare systems are also the most racial homogeneous. So whether one votes in favor of welfare is determined by who they imagine being helped. This can often change rapidly, leaving public opinion on welfare to be a confusing mess.