[Public Opinion Briefing 38-3] Government Evaluation in the Three Major Welfare Sectors

[Public Opinion Briefing No. 38] Global Spread of Recognition of Government Responsibility for Welfare

[Issue 1] Social Consensus on Government Responsibility for Welfare Spreading Globally

[Issue 2] Korean Society: Consensus on Government Responsibility for Welfare, Polarized Evaluation of Government Welfare Policies

[Appendix] Evaluation of Government Welfare Activities in Basic Livelihood, Medical, and Education Sectors

Appendix: Evaluation of Government Welfare Activities in Basic Livelihood (Food), Medical, and Education Sectors

The following summarizes global perceptions regarding whether governments should meet citizens' welfare needs in each of the three major welfare areas, and how citizens evaluate their own government's welfare provision levels in each area.

First, there is a consensus worldwide that it is the government's responsibility to guarantee basic livelihoods, provide essential healthcare, and ensure minimal educational opportunities. In 22 countries, 87% of respondents believe that "the government should guarantee basic livelihoods," and 92% believe that "the government should provide basic healthcare." 91% also agree that the government should provide minimal educational opportunities to its citizens.

Second, when evaluating their respective governments' welfare activities in the areas of livelihood, healthcare, and education, the positive and negative evaluations are roughly balanced, though considerable variation exists among countries. 45% responded that their government is doing well in guaranteeing basic livelihoods, and 47% answered that their government is performing well in healthcare provision activities. Regarding the role of providing educational opportunities, 52% gave a positive evaluation of their national government (see Figure 1). Examining the characteristics of the country rankings within each sector reveals the following (see Table 1).

Top 5 and Bottom 5 Countries in Government Evaluation for Basic Livelihood Guarantee

Citizens of China (89%), Germany (87%), Jordan (67%), Palestine (61%), and the United Kingdom (59%) ranked in the top 5 for their governments' responsible activities in guaranteeing basic livelihoods. Argentina (14%), Ukraine (15%), Nigeria (22%), Russia (24%), and Thailand (25%) were among the bottom 5 in government evaluations for basic livelihood guarantee.

  

Top 5 and Bottom 5 Countries in Government Evaluation for Basic Healthcare Guarantee

The top 5 countries evaluated as performing well in basic healthcare provision were Jordan (74%), Taiwan (72%), China (68%), the United Kingdom (66%), and Kenya and Palestine (65% each). Conversely, the bottom 5 countries included Ukraine (5%), Argentina (14%), Russia (14%), the United States (30%), and Thailand and Nigeria (42% each).

Top 5 and Bottom 5 Countries in Government Evaluation for Providing Basic Educational Opportunities

Countries performing well in this area of government welfare responsibility include Kenya (86%), Jordan (77%), China (71%), Palestine (69%), and the United Kingdom (66%), ranking in the top 5. Countries in the bottom 5 included Argentina and Ukraine (11% each), Russia (35%), Nigeria (36%), and Germany and Taiwan (44% each).

Among the developed Western countries, the United Kingdom and Germany can be cited as countries that received consistently high evaluations across the three sectors. Germany can be classified as a welfare-advanced country. In the basic livelihood sector, Germany received a high evaluation of 87%, and in healthcare provision evaluation, it also received a positive evaluation of 63%. However, its performance in the education sector was 44%, a significantly lower positive rate, placing it in the bottom 5. Nevertheless, in terms of overall satisfaction, averaging the support rates across the three sectors, Germany received the third-best evaluation among the 22 countries. Conversely, the United States received majority support in the education (61%) and basic livelihood (52%) sectors, but only a 30% positive evaluation for basic healthcare provision. This context helps explain why healthcare reform emerged as a major issue in the US presidential election.

In contrast, France and Italy, developed Western countries experiencing significant pessimism regarding their economies, received lukewarm evaluations from their citizens in all three sectors, placing them in the lower-middle tier. The French government ranked 14th (42%) in the basic livelihood support sector, 10th (54%) in basic healthcare provision, and 11th (55%) in education, out of 22 countries. Italy's situation is more severe. Ranking 17th (38%) in basic livelihood support, 15th (44%) in basic healthcare provision, and 15th (46%) in education, it is difficult to consider Italy among the developed nations in terms of welfare policy.

Among non-developed countries, China, India, Jordan, and Palestine are examples of nations that received favorable evaluations in specific welfare sectors. This is a surprising result, as the objective welfare conditions in these countries are known to be quite inadequate. Their high rankings appear to be the result of strong emotional trust citizens have in their governments, rather than objective performance. In particular, the dynamic growth of China and India, which has garnered global economic attention, can be interpreted as having translated into positive perceptions of government welfare policies and political trust among their populations.

In contrast, Russia, which is emerging as an economic powerhouse alongside China and India, receives low evaluations from its citizens, presenting a stark contrast. Russia ranks at the bottom, at 19th (24%) in basic livelihood, 14th in basic healthcare provision, and 20th (35%) in education provision. Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, and Argentina, which has experienced prolonged economic recession in South America, have not escaped indifferent evaluations from their citizens.

South Korea ranked 13th (43%) in basic livelihood support, 13th (47%) in basic healthcare provision, and 12th (54%) in providing basic educational opportunities, remaining at the level of a developing welfare nation.

[Figure 1] Recognition of Political Responsibility and Evaluation of Government Welfare Activities by Sector in the Three Major Social Welfare Areas (%)

[Table 1] Recognition of Government Responsibility and Evaluation of Government Activities in Basic Livelihood/Healthcare/Educational Opportunity Provision Sectors (%)

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