Stratified Universalism

Lunch seminar by

Carmen Ho

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and Guelph Institute of Development Studies

Universal policies that serve all, such as Universal Health Care, are expected to reduce inequality. Yet country experiences show that there have been challenges in reaching this goal. In this presentation, I will talk about “stratified universalism,” the stratification of a social policy’s services or benefits. Advantaged groups benefit more than others. This reinforces, rather than disrupts, the processes that transform initial inequalities into more durable forms.