government intervention, and support for an uninhibited market (King 1988).
Economically conservative policies have also decreased taxation and shifted resources
away from human resource programs (Hoover 1987). Such policies tend to pursue the
interests of the more affluent segments of society.
Liberals have also traditionally supported unions and their attempts at advancing
worker rights. Conservatives, on the other hand, have looked much less favorably
towards unions. They have consistently worked to hinder efforts towards unionization
and expansion of union strength. Unions have historically been a major proponent of the
welfare system (Allan and Scruggs 2004). They have fought to provide workers with
benefits such as unemployment insurance. Due to their support for unions, states that
have a strong liberal ideology are more prone to support policies that favor labor trough
welfare programs, whereas states with a more conservative ideology tend to favor
management over workers and limited welfare programs.
Not only should the ideology of the citizenry play a role in explaining
unemployment insurance coverage rates, but the political party of the governor should
also be influential. States that differ in political partisanship should differ in public
policy initiatives as well. Democratic policies have been characterized by extensive
intervention in the economy and income redistributive policies aimed at aiding those of
lower socioeconomic status. Republican policies have generally been typified by
attempts to benefit capital and the more wealthy segments of society (Hibbs 1977)
Furthermore, Republicans tend to view social welfare programs as a burden on the
economy and a force which encourages worker complacency and generates market
erosion by providing people with a guaranteed source of income during times of
economic hardship. They argue that welfare programs provide an incentive for people to
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Convention