Spiegare le variazioni della politica sociale e penale con il principio di less eligibility.

Welfare (social policy) and punishment (penal policy) vary wildly across time and space, with social policy being more or less generous, and punishment more or less barbaric. What determines the generosity of social policies, and the humanity of penal policies? The principle of less eligibility holds that in every society, assistance will be made less attractive than lower wage work, and punishment will make crime less attractive than assistance. I argue that the principle of less eligibility determines the mix of welfare and punishment which is implemented to govern and manage poverty in a given society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]