Welfare Ideologies and Theories of Federalism

This paper examines from a theoretical perspective how each of three major ideological orientations towards the welfare state (structural left; social democracy; new/far right) might incorporate an intermediate level of interest between a central and local governments—namely, a province. While the analysis is most straightforward at either end of the spectrum, it is complex for the middle grouping. The paper observes one commonality across all points on the ideological spectrum: there is an increasing loss of faith and disillusionment everywhere with big government, with a resulting focus on more local neighbourhoods and communities (which may or may not include provinces). A brief case example, dealing with the development of legal aid in Canada, is presented for illustrative purposes. The paper ultimately suggests caution: in a world of monetarist economic policies, a central government must always retain pre-eminent interest.