New Right

• New right and social policy

  Traditional nuclear family is self-reliant, capable of caring for it's members

  • social policies should avoid undermining this
  • argue governments weaken family's self-reliance by providing overly generous welfare benefits
• Murrary

  Argue benefits offer "preserve-incentives" rewarding anti-social behaviour

  • fathers see state maintain children > may abandon responsibilities
  • providing council housing for unmarried teenage mothers encourages young girls to be pregnant
  • growth in lone parent families encouraged by welfare benefits > boys grow up without male role model > rise in crime
• Policies that support NR

  • Taxes married couples less than couples cohabiting
  • Cuts in welfare benefits, tighter restrictions on eligibility > prevents "perverse incentivies"
  • child support agency makes absent fathers pay
• Criticisms

  • Feminists = policies are an attempt to justify returning to traditional nuclear family and subordinating women
  • Cutting benefits may drive people into poverty