This important book builds a bridge between the literature on popular welfare deservingness and social welfare policies. It examines the relationship between the two, exploring the close correspondence between public opinion and public policy that has been present throughout the history of social welfare. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data in a mixed-methods approach, Tijs Laenen not only investigates popular attitudes towards some of the most contested and 'least-deserving' policy target groups, but also towards groups alleged to be highly deserving of social...