What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy

Blum S, Kuhlmann J (2025)
Policy & Politics: 1-22.

Zeitschriftenaufsatz | Veröffentlicht | Englisch
 
Download
Es wurden keine Dateien hochgeladen. Nur Publikationsnachweis!
Autor*in
Blum, SonjaUniBi ; Kuhlmann, Johanna
Abstract / Bemerkung

As policies are rarely enacted universally for the entire population, an essential part of policy design is to decide which target groups are addressed by policy benefits or burdens, and which are not. For this, next to the power position of different groups, their ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ construction has proven to be essential – famously captured in the Schneider/Ingram typology of target populations (advantaged, contenders, dependents, deviants). While it is thus crucial to understand the processes of target group constructions, the specific criteria guiding these constructions have remained rather elusive. This article argues that the CARIN criteria developed in the welfare deservingness literature provide a clear analytical frame for understanding positive and negative target group constructions. By integrating the CARIN criteria with the Schneider/Ingram typology of deservingness, this article makes several contributions. Conceptually, it enriches the notion of deservingness within public policy research, and demonstrates the applicability of the CARIN criteria across different policy types. Empirically, the article presents a case study on regulatory policies, investigating target group constructions in Germany’s containment and vaccination policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thereby, the CARIN criteria – which have to date been used in public opinion research – are harnessed for meso-level policy research.

Erscheinungsjahr
2025
Zeitschriftentitel
Policy & Politics
Seite(n)
1-22
ISSN
0305-5736
eISSN
1470-8442
Page URI
https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/record/3000120

Zitieren

Blum S, Kuhlmann J. What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy. Policy & Politics. 2025:1-22.
Blum, S., & Kuhlmann, J. (2025). What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy. Policy & Politics, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1332/03055736Y2024D000000059
Blum, Sonja, and Kuhlmann, Johanna. 2025. “What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy”. Policy & Politics, 1-22.
Blum, S., and Kuhlmann, J. (2025). What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy. Policy & Politics, 1-22.
Blum, S., & Kuhlmann, J., 2025. What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy. Policy & Politics, , p 1-22.
S. Blum and J. Kuhlmann, “What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy”, Policy & Politics, 2025, pp. 1-22.
Blum, S., Kuhlmann, J.: What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy. Policy & Politics. 1-22 (2025).
Blum, Sonja, and Kuhlmann, Johanna. “What defines deservingness? Specifying the criteria for target groups constructions in public policy”. Policy & Politics (2025): 1-22.
Export

Markieren/ Markierung löschen
Markierte Publikationen

Open Data PUB

Web of Science

Dieser Datensatz im Web of Science®
Suchen in

Google Scholar