At a time of breakdown in our public health service, unaffordable childcare bills, and a cost of living crisis, questions over how our society should be governed, and what the state should provide, are pressing.
Meanwhile, the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the vulnerabilities in the energy and food supply chains exposed by the war in Ukraine reveal, some think, state failure to plan ahead and make provision, just in case.
One person who has thought long and hard about what functions the state should exercise, and how it ought to perform them, is Albert Weale, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy here in the UCL Department of Political Science. Longstanding listeners to UCL Uncovering Politics may remember an episode we did with him a couple of years ago on his major book Modern Social Contract Theory, which explored the principles that should guide decisions on the role of the state.
Albert is now building on that foundation to develop a new approach to thinking about the role of the state, which he calls the ‘precautionary state’ – one that moves from ‘just in time’ systems, to a ‘just in case’ approach, with ample provision of public goods.
Mentioned in this episode:
UCL’s Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.
The Politics of Climate Change
The Origins of the Secular State
Courage in Politics
The Transformation of British Welfare Policy
The Origins of Social Trust
Why did Argentina invade the Malvinas/Falklands in 1982?
The Pedagogy of Politics
Freeing Bureaucrats to Succeed
Taking Offence
Intermarriage and Voting in Africa
Governments and Private Sector Suppliers
Public Preferences on Taxes and Spending
Online Public Shaming: Social Media, Ethics and Punishment
Legacies of Armed Conflict in Northern Ireland
COP26 in Review: Reflections on Glasgow
Regulating the Internet
Analysing Politicians’ Words
The Global Politics of Climate Change
Prison Protests in Palestine
How Has Covid Affected Voter Preferences
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free