Have Young Adults’ Opinions on the Social Role of the State Changed since the 2008 Economic Crisis?

Abstract

[eng] The 2008 economic crisis, which has had a significant impact on young adults’entry into the labour market, may have changed their opinions on social policies and expenditure. Data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP, 2006, 2016) allow analysis and comparison of these opinions and their evolution in 12 European countries, as well as in the United States and New Zealand. We also examine the differences between the opinions of young adults and other adults and their evolution over time. In order to take into account differences in national contexts, we use the standard typology of welfare state regimes. Young adults’ support for public intervention in social issues increased between 2006 and 2016, except in the Scandinavian countries. Differences of opinion with their elders have increased in liberal countries and decreased in conservative countries, while the desire for increased social welfare remains high in countries where social welfare was least developed.