, Columnist
The Big Question: Does the Welfare State Make Countries Richer?
A Q&A with economic historian Peter Lindert on the surprising evidence about how social-welfare spending affects economic growth.
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This is one of a series of interviews by Bloomberg Opinion columnists on how to solve the world’s most pressing policy challenges. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Justin Fox: The coronavirus pandemic has caused a dramatic expansion in government-funded social welfare programs in many countries, including the United States. A major theme of your new book, “Making Social Spending Work” — as well as some of your earlier work — is that the welfare state is a free lunch. What do you mean by that?