Abstract
The text we have is an article written by James Wickham in April 2003, and revised in 2004. In this article, the author gives us a brief analysis of the European Social Model, pointing up its potential and its weaknesses. All along this text, he interrogates about the different forms this model takes, by comparison with the USA. He argues that in spite of many similarities between Europe and the USA (in terms of economy, society, politics…), such model is really a sharping difference, notably regarding the role played by States in Europe.
Firstly, the author tries to define what the European Social Model (ESM) is. Comparing Europe with the USA, he highlights many features of this model: income redistribution, public services such as school and health. In fact, he underlines that European societies are more egalitarian (because people accept the importance of the State) than in the USA, where inequalities (of income, of level of education…) are more tolerated. The State, which is above the clash of private interests, is based on principles of fairness and uprightness, its intervention has many sources: market failure, connection between the State and the Nation. Hence, general goods are produced in a public sphere, in order to insure equity among societies, through different ways: transports, media, education, health…
