Neoliberal welfare reform aimed to convert natural family charity into legal duty

Evidence

As noted by the Chicago School legal scholar, Richard A. Epstein, the rules of social welfare should “follow the basic pattern of natural obligation as it is perceived to arise within families.” The task of neoliberal welfare reform is “to transform [this] inclination into duty” and thus to “derive an ‘is’ from an ‘ought’ “—a precise translation of the poor law philosophy of natural charity within the family. — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 241

Categorization

• DEFINE: Articulates the Epstein/Chicago principle that social welfare rules should mirror family-based natural obligation, and the legal task of converting inclination into enforceable duty.
• XREF: connects to: Clinton’s welfare reform federalized old poor law family-responsibility principles — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 211; Neoliberals endorsed state coercion to enforce kinship obligations over income redistribution — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 212; Neoliberals opposed no-fault divorce to force families to absorb social costs — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 241 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Decades of neoliberal reform reinstated the family as first-line welfare provider #corroborates (0.95) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 260
• Reagan’s California welfare reform enacted neoliberal family-responsibility policies #exemplifies (0.80) — Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, 242