经济学人下载:疫情后时代社会保障的绝处逢生(1)

Leaders 

社论板块

Bouncing back 

重整旗鼓

How to make a social safety net for the post-covid world

如何构建疫情后时代的社会保障系统

After the Depression and the second world war, voters and governments in rich countries recast the relationship between the state and its citizens. Now the pandemic has seen the old rules on social spending ripped up. More than three-quarters of Americans support President Joe Biden’s $1.9trn stimulus bill, which is due in the Senate and includes $1,400 cheques for most adults. And in the budget on March 3rd Britain extended a scheme to pay the wages of furloughed workers until September, even as public debt hit its highest level since 1945. Such boldness brings dangers: governments could stretch the public finances to breaking-point, distort incentives and create sclerotic societies. But they also have a chance to create new social welfare policies that are affordable and which help workers thrive in an economy facing technological disruption. They must seize it. 

经历大萧条和二战之后，富裕国家的选民和政府重塑了国家和公民之间的关系。如今，新冠疫情撕毁了旧有的社会支出规则。超过四分之三的美国人支持总统乔·拜登提出的1.9万亿美元的经济刺激法案，该法案将在参议院通过，其中包括为大多数成年人提供1400美元的支票。在3月3日的预算计划中，英国政府将员工带薪休假计划延长到9月，即使其公共债务达到了1945年以来的最高水平。如此大胆的行为也带来了危机：政府可能会将公共财政推到崩溃的边缘，扭曲激励机制，造成社会僵化。但他们也有机会制定可负担得起的新社会福利政策，帮助工人在面临技术颠覆的经济中突围。他们必须抓住这个机会。

The past year has seen a wild experiment in social spending. The world launched at least 1,600 new social protection programmes in 2020. Rich countries have provided 5.8% of GDP on average to help record numbers of workers. Government debts are piling up, but so far low interest rates mean that they are cheap to service. The public’s mood had already been shifting. Britons used to grumble that layabouts sponged off the welfare state; now they are more likely to say help is too stingy. Last year over two-thirds of Europeans said they supported a universal basic income (UBI), an unconditional recurring payment to all adults. Affluent professionals have had their gaze drawn to the working conditions of those who deliver food and look after the sick. The struggles of women who have dropped out of the workforce to care for children and the elderly have become impossible to ignore. 

在过去的一年里，各国政府在社会支出方面进行了一场疯狂的实验。2020年，全世界至少启动了1600项新的社会保障计划。富裕国家平均提供GDP的5.8%去帮助创纪录数量的工人。政府债台高筑，但到目前为止，低利率意味着偿债成本很低。公众的情绪已经改变。英国人过去常常抱怨那些靠国家福利救济的懒汉；他们现在更可能说国家的救助太吝啬了。去年，超过三分之二的欧洲国民表示，他们支持全民基本收入方案（UBI），即对所有成年人无条件循环资助。成功的专业人士已经开始关注那些配送食物和照顾病人的人的工作条件。那些为了照顾孩子和老人而退出就业市场的女性们的挣扎已不容忽视。