Abstract
The Australian Labor Party, following its election to government in 2007, has implemented an ambitious social policy agenda with spending on hospitals, pensions and community workers, as well as programs for parental leave and disability. It has also reformed taxes, in part to finance these reforms, implementing the mining and carbon taxes in 2012. Labor, however, has difficulty avoiding deficits because tax revenues are too low to finance expanded welfare. This article explores the political constraints and opportunities involved in financing welfare by examining voter responses to the ANU Poll of September 2011. Spending on welfare is supported by low-income earners, while taxing big industries finds greater support among university-educated voters. The article advances an explanation for this mismatch and for why tax resistance has hindered Labor's efforts to finance welfare expansion.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 286-306 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Australian Journal of Political Science |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 2013 |
Fingerprint
Cite this
}
The Limits of Low-Tax Social Democracy? Welfare, Tax and Fiscal Dilemmas for Labor in Government. / Wilson, Shaun.
In: Australian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 48, No. 3, 09.2013, p. 286-306.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - The Limits of Low-Tax Social Democracy? Welfare, Tax and Fiscal Dilemmas for Labor in Government
AU - Wilson, Shaun
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - The Australian Labor Party, following its election to government in 2007, has implemented an ambitious social policy agenda with spending on hospitals, pensions and community workers, as well as programs for parental leave and disability. It has also reformed taxes, in part to finance these reforms, implementing the mining and carbon taxes in 2012. Labor, however, has difficulty avoiding deficits because tax revenues are too low to finance expanded welfare. This article explores the political constraints and opportunities involved in financing welfare by examining voter responses to the ANU Poll of September 2011. Spending on welfare is supported by low-income earners, while taxing big industries finds greater support among university-educated voters. The article advances an explanation for this mismatch and for why tax resistance has hindered Labor's efforts to finance welfare expansion.
AB - The Australian Labor Party, following its election to government in 2007, has implemented an ambitious social policy agenda with spending on hospitals, pensions and community workers, as well as programs for parental leave and disability. It has also reformed taxes, in part to finance these reforms, implementing the mining and carbon taxes in 2012. Labor, however, has difficulty avoiding deficits because tax revenues are too low to finance expanded welfare. This article explores the political constraints and opportunities involved in financing welfare by examining voter responses to the ANU Poll of September 2011. Spending on welfare is supported by low-income earners, while taxing big industries finds greater support among university-educated voters. The article advances an explanation for this mismatch and for why tax resistance has hindered Labor's efforts to finance welfare expansion.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84886896680&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10361146.2013.821102
DO - 10.1080/10361146.2013.821102
M3 - Article
VL - 48
SP - 286
EP - 306
JO - Australian Journal of Political Science
T2 - Australian Journal of Political Science
JF - Australian Journal of Political Science
SN - 1036-1146
IS - 3
ER -