A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Welfare Legitimacy

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Abstract
Most studies of the legitimacy of the welfare state rely on surveys measuring the level of support for social services and benefits. These surveys show that self-interest plays only a sec ondary part in shaping the pattern of support. The latter is then based on general values and, in such circumstances, it can be equated with legitimacy. The relevant literature has clearly identified those welfare programmes which re ceive a high level of support and those which do not, but it loses its clarity with regards to the reasons for various levels of support/legiti macy. This article relies on a comparative method, called Qualitative Comparative analysis (QCA) and based on Boolean algebra, to investigate the factors associated with the legitimacy of selected social programmes in five different countries (Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Norway).