Baslevent, CemKirmanoglu, Hasan2024-07-182024-07-1820111369-68661468-2397https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2397.2010.00751.xhttps://hdl.handle.net/11411/7834This article reports on an investigation into the influence of individual characteristics on attitudes to government responsibility for welfare-related tasks using data from the European Social Survey. The main finding of this investigation was that socio-demographic characteristics, basic personal values, a left-right ideological position and religious affiliation were all associated with attitudes towards welfare policies. An item-by-item examination of the six issues enquired about in the survey revealed that people tended to hold the government responsible for tasks that would benefit them more directly. Taken as a whole, the empirical findings were interpreted to mean that individuals' tastes for welfare state policies were driven, at least partially, by self-interest, but it was also noted that further work was needed to disentangle the potential role of group loyalty effects.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccessSelf-İnterestWelfare State ResponsibilitiesBasic Personal ValuesEuropean Social Survey (Ess)Societal InterestPersonal ValuesPublic-OpinionRedistributionReciprocityHypothesisBeliefsGermanyNationsWorldsArticle2-s2.0-8005250308110.1111/j.1468-2397.2010.00751.x3524Q234420Q3WOS:000295013500003