Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the strong existing connections between the welfare state and the middle class. It will be argued that working through two different mechanisms - the provision of key public services and its major role as employer - the development of the welfare state has contributed in a significant way to the development of the middle class. In order to do so, we will adopt the definition of middle class proposed by the IUS Middle Task Force based on ambitions, studying the role played by the welfare state in meeting such ambitions in high-income countries. In parallel, using the case studies of Spain and the United Kingdom, we will explore the role of the welfare state in the creation of "middle-class" jobs.