Exploring pandemic-specific welfare regimes typology: Impacts on social problems during COVID-19

Abstract

This study develops a pandemic-specific typology of welfare regimes to analyze how welfare states adapted to the COVID-19 crisis. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, 32 welfare states are categorized into 4 typologies—High-Performance, Selective-Strength, Transitional, and Low-Performance—based on economic support, healthcare capacity, and public health measures. To assess the impact of these typologies, multivariate analysis of covariance examines differences in social and economic outcomes, including poverty, unemployment, income inequality, COVID-19 morality, mental health disorders, life satisfaction, and government effectiveness. The findings reveal that High-Performance regimes demonstrated the most balanced crisis responses, integrating robust economic interventions, strong healthcare infrastructures, and proactive public health policies. In contrast, Low-Performance regimes faced significant challenges due to weaker institutional capacity, limited economic support, and fragmented healthcare systems. The study also highlights the hybridization of welfare states, where traditional welfare principles were adapted through crisis-management strategies to enhance responsiveness. By bridging traditional welfare state theory with crisis adaptability, this study contributes to the theoretical and policy discourse on welfare state resilience. The results underscore the importance of institutional coordination, adaptive governance, and hybrid welfare models that balance long-term stability with short-term adaptability. These insights provide a foundation for strengthening welfare state preparedness in the face of future global crises beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.