COMPREHENSION 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue

COMPREHENSION
CONTENT
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Beyond the Welfare State
Comprehension Answers available at www.broaderperspectives.com.sg & www.twitter.com/ThinkTankMags
QUESTIONS ATTACHED
CHANGE
MUST
COME,
AND SO IT
WILL
COMPREHENSION 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
It is becoming increasingly clear that we in America are living through a period of transition. One
chapter of our national life is closing, and another is about to begin. We can sense this in the
tense volatility of our electoral politics, as dramatic change elections follow closely upon one
another. We can feel it in the unseemly mood of decline that has infected our public life leaving
our usually cheerful nation fretful about global competition and unsure if the next generation
will be able to live as well as the present one. Perhaps above all, we can discern it in an
overwhelming sense of exhaustion emanating from many of our public institutions our creaking
mid-century transportation infrastructure, our overburdened regulatory agencies struggling to keep
pace with a dynamic economy, our massive entitlement system edging toward insolvency.
But these are mostly symptoms of our mounting unease. The most signifcant cause runs
deeper. We have the feeling that profound and unsettling change is afoot because the vision that
has dominated our political imagination for a century the belief in a gradual transition from
capitalism to socialism by democratic means, in other words, the vision of the social-democratic
welfare state is drained and growing bankrupt, and it is not yet clear just what will take its
place. That vision was an answer to a question America, like many other capitalist nations, must
still confront: How shall we balance the competing aspirations of our society aspirations to
both wealth and virtue, dynamism and compassion? How can we fulfll our simultaneous desires
to race ahead yet leave no one behind? The answer offered by the social-democratic ideal was
a technocratic welfare state that would balance these aspirations through all-encompassing
programs of social insurance. We would retain a private economy, but it would be carefully
managed in order to curb its ill effects, and a large portion of its output would be used by the
government to address large social problems, lessen inequality, and thus also build greater social
solidarity.
Of course, this vision has never been implemented in full. But it has offered a model, for good and
for ill. For the left on the political spectrum, who are more communitarian or populist on economic
issues, it provided long-term goals, criteria for distinguishing progress from retreat in making
short-term compromises, and a kind of defnition of the just society. For the right, the conservative
camp who assumes an individualistic or libertarian stance on economic issues, it was a foil to be
combated and averted an archetype of soulless, stifing bureaucratic hubris and it helped
put objections to seemingly modest individual leftward steps into a broader, more coherent
context. But both ends of our politics seemed implicitly to agree that, left to its own momentum,
this is where our country was headed where history would take us if no one stood athwart it
yelling stop.
Too many people vaguely think of the Left-Right spectrum as running from decency to effciency:
socialists (the leftists) are inept but well-meaning, and conservatives (the rightists) are able but
cruel. Imagine life at the opposite extremes of the spectrum: a completely leftist one where the
lazy and incompetent individual is able to siphon off the wealth of the nation by perpetually asking
for handouts and welfare subsidies, or a thoroughly conservative one where the underprivileged
and disadvantaged are left to fend for themselves in a world where only ability and wealth matter.
Beyond the Welfare State
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Adapted from Beyond the Welfare State by Yuval Levin, for the purposes of the A level General Paper
COMPREHENSION 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
It is no longer really possible to think of the vision as a model anymore. All over the developed
world, nations are coming to terms with the fact that the social-democratic welfare state is
turning out to be untenable. The reason is partly institutional: The administrative state is dismally
ineffcient and unresponsive, and therefore ill-suited to our age of endless choice and variety.
The reason is also partly cultural and moral: The attempt to rescue the citizen from the burdens
of responsibility has undermined the family, self-reliance, and self-government. But, in practice,
it is above all fscal: The welfare state has turned out to be unaffordable, dependent as it is upon
dubious economics and the demographic model of a bygone era. Sustaining existing programs
of social insurance, let alone continuing to build new ones on the social-democratic model, has
become increasingly diffcult in recent years, and projections for the coming decades paint an
impossibly grim and baleful picture. There is simply no way that Europe, Japan, or America can
actually go where the economists long-term charts now point to debts that utterly overwhelm
their productive capacities, governments that do almost nothing but support the elderly, and
economies with no room for dynamism, for growth, or for youth. Some change must come, and so
it will.
But fully grasping this reality will not be easy. Our attachment to the social-democratic vision
means that we tend to equate its exhaustion with our own exhaustion, and so to fall into a most
un-American melancholy. On the left, fear of decline is now answered only with false hope that the
dream may yet be saved through clever tinkering at the edges. On the right, the coming collapse
of the liberal welfare state brings calls for austerity for less of the same which only highlight
the degree to which conservatives, too, are stuck in the social-democratic mindset.
But we do not yet know quite how. The answer will not come from the left, which is far too
committed to the old vision to accept its fate and contemplate alternatives. It must therefore
emerge from the right. Conservatives must produce not only arguments against the liberal welfare
state but also a different vision, a different answer to the question of how we might balance
our aspirations. It must be a vision that emphasizes the pursuit of economic growth, republican
virtues, and social mobility over economic security, value-neutral welfare, and material equality;
that redefnes the safety net as a means of making the poor more independent rather than making
the middle class less so; and that translates these ideals into institutional forms that suit our
modern, dynamic society.
That different vision is now beginning to take shape. Slowly, bit by bit, we are starting to see what
must replace our welfare state. In time to come, we can envision a society where individuals can
work and compete fairly only a market-driven economy that is not partial towards the poor and
disadvantaged, but one which rewards the able and industrious. It will be a society where each
party will add to the others well-being by doing precisely what is expected of him and be justly
rewarded in the process. It will be one where a good percentage of the fruit of his labour will not
be forcefully taken away from him in the form of heavy taxes by an overbearing state and given to
someone who does not deserve it at all; in other words, a society that fnally truly works.
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Adapted from Beyond the Welfare State by Yuval Levin, for the purposes of the A level General Paper
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
Comprehension Questions
1 What does insolvency suggest is becoming of the massive entitlement system in America
(line 9)? [1]
2 Using your own words as far as possible, explain the cause of the mounting unease in
line 10. [3]
3 Using your own words as far as possible, what are the competing aspirations of our society in
line 16? [2] Why does the author describe them as competing? [1]
4 How does the phrase of course in line 24 help to advance the authors argument? [1]
5 What does the word foil in line 28 suggest about how the right views the vision? [1]
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
6 In paragraph 3, what differences and similarities does the author see between how the left and
right viewed the vision? Use your own words as far as possible. [3]
7 Why do the conservatives view the vision as an archetype of soulless, stifing bureaucratic
hubris? (line 29) [1]
8 Using your own words as far as possible, what claim is the author making in line 44-45? [2]
Why does the author describe the reason as cultural and moral? [1]
9 What does the phrase un-American melancholy in line 57 tell you about the authors view of
America? [1]
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
10 Using material from paragraphs 2, 5 and 7, summarise what the author has to say about the
social-democratic ideal: how it tried to balance competing aspirations, the reasons why the
ideal became untenable, as well as possible solutions to this problem.
Write your summary in no more than 120 words not counting the opening words which are
printed below. Use your words as far as possible. [8]
The social-democratic ideal tried to balance the competing aspirations of the American society
by suggesting a technocratic welfare state that
11 It will be one where a good percentage of the fruit of his labour will not be forcefully taken
away from him in the form of heavy taxes by an overbearing state and given to someone who
does not deserve it at all; in other words, a society that fnally truly works. (line 75-77)
How far do you agree with the authors views in the last line? Illustrate your answer/own views
by referring to the role that your government plays in either addressing social ills or spurring
economic growth. [10]
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
Comprehension Answers
1 What does insolvency suggest is becoming of the massive entitlement system in America
(line 9)? [1]
The word suggests it is gradually growing to a point where it will no longer be fnancially sustainable
and viable.
2 Using your own words as far as possible, explain the cause of the mounting unease in
line 10. [3]
Line Lifted Paraphrased
10-15 There is a mounting unease because
the vision that has dominated our political
imagination is drained and growing
bankrupt, and it is not yet clear just what
will take its place.
There is a mounting unease in the country
because the direction that has been
foremost on the developmental agenda of
the country (1) for a century is impoverished
and unsustainable (1) and until this point
in time, just exactly what will be a good
substitute or replacement to chart the
direction of the country is still ambiguous (1).
3 Using your own words as far as possible, what are the competing aspirations of our society in
line 16? [2] Why does the author describe them as competing? [1]
Line Lifted Paraphrased
16-17 The competing aspirations are on one
hand aspirations to both wealth and
dynamism (1) and on the other virtue and
compassion. (1)
The competing aspirations are on one hand
desire for affuence and rapid change (1)
produced by a private economy, and on the
other, a desire to see values and an ability
to feel for/comprehend the plight or needs
of others in the society. (1)
The author views these aspirations as competing because (inferred) very often the process of pursuing
wealth and dynamism through a market economy system would inevitably cause a society to become
more competitive, cutthroat and unequal. (1)
4 How does the phrase of course in line 24 help to advance the authors argument? [1]
It helps to advance the authors argument by reinforcing that a full implementation of the vision is
obviously neither realistic nor feasible, and it advances his idea that the social-democratic ideal is
untenable as a solution and that an alternative must be sought.
5 What does the word foil in line 40 suggest about how the right views the vision? [1]
It suggests that the right views the social-democratic vision as an inferior contrast (1) to their
conservative political vision.
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
6 In paragraph 3, what differences and similarities does the author see between how the left and
right viewed the vision? Use your own words as far as possible. [3]
Line Lifted Paraphrased
25-33

The left on the political spectrum viewed
the vision as providing long-term goals,
criteria for distinguishing progress
from retreat (1) in making short-term
compromises, and a kind of defnition of
the just society, while the right viewed it
as a foil to be combated and averted an
archetype of soulless, stifing bureaucratic
hubris (1) and it helped put objections to
seemingly modest individual leftward steps
into a broader, more coherent context. But
both ends of our politics seemed implicitly
to agree that, left to its own momentum,
this is where our country was headed
where history would take us if no one
stood athwart it yelling stop (1).
On one hand, the left saw the vision as one
that set down objectives for them in the long
run, served as a benchmark to help them
differentiate (1) whether a decision that
seems to be moving away from the vision is
actually contributing to or detracting from the
overall big picture. On the other hand, the
right saw the vision as an inferior contrast
that they had to fght against or avoid, as
well as a paradigm of heartless, oppressive
governmental and administrative arrogance
(1). But both the left and right concur that
the vision will steer the country towards
destruction if its current direction and speed
are left unchecked by somebody (1).
7 Why do the conservatives view the vision as an archetype of soulless, stifing bureaucratic
hubris? (line 29) [1]
The conservatives view the vision as such because they believe in the rights of individuals to be
autonomous and free to choose when it came to economic issues and thus hold the view that the
social-democratic vision is the ultimate model where individual interests are heartlessly oppressed or
sacrifced by oppressive and arrogant governments to serve the community or collective interests.
8 Using your own words as far as possible, what claim is the author making in line 44-45? [2]
Why does the author describe the reason as cultural and moral? [1]

Line Lifted Paraphrased
44-45

The reason is also partly cultural and
moral: The attempt to rescue the citizen
from the burdens of responsibility (1) has
undermined the family, self-reliance, and
self-government (1).
The author is making the claim that the
effort to save the citizen from his personal
load of duties has weakened the culture of
communal living (1), the principle of making
a living using ones own efforts, and the
ethos of ruling oneself (1).
The author describes the reason in this way because the people have acquired a new response/way
of behaving/set of behaviours (culture) (1/2) that cause them to look for assistance and aid instead of
being diligent and hardworking, and that to him, this represents a skewing of values (moral) as people
should see this new habit as wrong/misguided (1/2).
9 What does the phrase un-American melancholy in line 57 tell you about the authors view of
America? [1]
It suggests that the author believes that America is generally an optimistic country and that descending
into depression is very uncharacteristic of America.
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
10 Using material from paragraphs 2, 5 and 7, summarise what the author has to say about the
social-democratic ideal: how it tried to balance competing aspirations, the reasons why the
ideal became untenable, as well as possible solutions to this problem.
Write your summary in no more than 120 words not counting the opening words which are
printed below. Use your words as far as possible. [8]
The social-democratic ideal tried to balance the competing aspirations of the American society by
suggesting a technocratic welfare state that
Lifted Paraphrased
From paragraph 2:
...a technocratic welfare state that would balance
these aspirations through all-encompassing
programs of social insurance.
America would retain a private economy, but it
would be carefully managed in order to curb its ill
effects, and a large portion of its output would be
used by the government to address large social
problems, lessen inequality, and thus also build
greater social solidarity.
From paragraph 5:
All over the developed world, nations are coming
to terms with the fact that the social-democratic
welfare state is turning out to be untenable.
The reason is partly institutional: The administrative
state is dismally ineffcient and unresponsive, and
therefore ill-suited to our age of endless choice and
variety.
The reason is also partly cultural and moral: The
attempt to rescue the citizen from the burdens
of responsibility has undermined the family, self-
reliance, and self-government.
But, in practice, it is above all fscal: The welfare
state has turned out to be unaffordable, dependent
as it is upon dubious economics and the
demographic model of a bygone era.
From paragraph 7:
It must therefore emerge from the right..
It must be a vision that emphasizes the pursuit of
economic growth, republican virtues, and social
mobility over economic security, value-neutral
welfare, and material equality;
that redefnes the safety net as a means of making
the poor more independent rather than making the
middle class less so
From paragraph 2:
would harmonise them through comprehensive
social insurance programs.
The American government would continue its
capitalist/market economy system
but mitigate its ramifcations by devoting enormous
resources to combating social problems.
From paragraph 5:
There are three reasons why the welfare state is
unsustainable.
First, the ineffcaciousness and sluggishness of
the government is incompatible with a new era of
unending choices.
Second, welfarism has weakened the nations
family bonds and made people over-reliant on the
state.
Third, the fnancial model for the welfare state
is unsustainable as it is based upon unsound
economic principles and outdated population
statistics.
From paragraph 7:
The solution, which can only come from the right,
must be a vision that values social mobility and self-
reliance over economic security, thus transforming
welfare into motivation for self-sustainability rather
than excuse for idleness.
*Award full marks for 8 points.
BEYOND THE WELFARE STATE 2013 BROADER PERSPECTIVES The Useless Issue
11 It will be one where a good percentage of the fruit of his labour will not be forcefully taken
away from him in the form of heavy taxes by an overbearing state and given to someone who
does not deserve it at all; in other words, a society that fnally truly works. (line 75-77)
How far do you agree with the authors views in the last line? Illustrate your answer/own views
by referring to the role that your government plays in either addressing social ills or spurring
economic growth. [10]
This passage is about the unsustainability of the social-democratic vision all over the world and
expresses the authors views on how the solution must emerge from the conservative right. It is
ideal as an entrance to deeper discussions or explorations on the perennially relevant question of
what the best or suitable type of government will look like. Candidates will do well to not only discuss
these ideas, but to take it a step further and deliberate how different cultures/societies will have
their particular diffculties or inclinations when accommodating a particular political philosophy. Even
though the author focuses on the example of America, he is assuming universality of his ideas and the
candidate should challenge this understanding.
Key arguments/threads of thoughts that students can consider are:
Where does your society/government lie on the Left-Right continuum? Is it possible to see it shift from
left to right/right to left on the spectrum? What are the factors preventing a possible change?
Is the conservative way the only path to pursue growth? That is, picking up the mess in the wake of
relentless development.
What are some of the values or ideals our society/culture cherish that should guide our economic
model or the manner by which we pursue growth as a nation?
What is the key role of the government or peoples expectation of the functions of the government in
Singapore?