Routledge Automatic Poverty - Welfare and the State Edition

Automatic Poverty by Routledge offers a profound look at economic structures and social welfare. Originally published in 1981, this text provides a necessary alternative to the analysis used by the Radical Right. The author explores how Britain's economic decline relates to advanced industrialization, where mechanized productive processes lead to static output. This book examines the consequences of these shifts, noting how workers become redundant and working-class income diminishes. As a result, dependence on the state increases. By analyzing the 'Ricardo phenomenon' as a long-term feature of the British economy, the text investigates why traditional Keynesian and monetarist policies fail to provide a remedy for these systemic issues. Part of the Routledge Library Editions: Welfare and the State, this work is a significant resource for those studying sociology, economics, and the history of social policy. It provides a deep dive into the relationship between industrial mechanization and the changing role of the state in supporting the population.