Colder climate = More social welfare?

[Dimentio]

I don't really know, but I have noticed that the more "north" you are moving in Western Europe, the more and more social benefits you will have.

Just look here:

http://politicalcompass.org/images/eu2008.gif

I don't know if the same applies for North America, but it would be interesting if it did.

I think there is an actual climate correlation between temperature and the level of social benefits you will receive. That also probably have a factual reason, namely the fact that if you are homeless during the winter in a cold climate, you will most likely freeze to death.

Do you think there is a correlation?

I don't myself know whether or not there is a correlation.

[Dean]

In a colder climate, secluded housing is less safe and economically viable. Human beings are forced to live closer together and rely on each other more. This creates an environment of inter-personal responsibility which encourages such social behavior. That's my understanding, at least.

[Dimentio]

I have grown up in a cold country, Sweden.

The northern parts of the country are a lot more left-leaning than the southern parts, but in the same time, Swedes are not generally a very social people. It is a long distance between houses in a typical village, a significant percentage of Swedish kids rarely meet their grandparents except on christmas and midsummer's eve. A lot of the funerals are "lone funerals" without any relatives coming.

From my point of view, the state has taken over the role of the extended family in Sweden, and perhaps made it moot.

[Sean]

I always blamed the Romans personally.
http://www.thejournal.org/studylibrary/maps/roman-empire.gif
Then again you could apply climate to that too. Perhaps commies melt?

[Kwisatz Haderach]

I like the Political Compass, but I don't trust the accuracy of their economic ratings for EU countries. Notice that on the chart you posted, the three most neoliberal countries in the EU are Greece, the UK, and France. WTF? France is as neoliberal as the UK, and both are more so than Ireland? No, I don't think so.

[Dr Mindbender]

i think serpents analysis of sweden applies to the UK also. The Scottish tend to be more leftist than the Southern English. At one time, a large part of the Scottish parliament was seated by the Scottish Socialist party (the sister party of the English and Welsh SWP). I always put class conciousness down to material and economic distribution rather than temperature though. In the south of britain, people tend to be wealthier therefore more right wing.

[Led Zeppelin]

There's more social welfare in France than in Russia, and Russia has a colder climate, there goes your "theory".

Not that any serious person would even bother considering it.

[Dimentio]

There's more social welfare in France than in Russia, and Russia has a colder climate, there goes your "theory".

Not that any serious person would even bother considering it.

Russia is also a poor country with a history of various brands of despotism.

That is why I talked about Western Europe and North America.

[Iowa656]

Here is another example of correlation being assumed as cause and effect. Perhaps the average temperature of a country is correlated with the countries political landscape (that is to say as temperature decreases the "leftness" of government increases) but to suggests one is cause by the other is ridiculous.

Did you know for example the migration of certain sea animals is strongly correlated with the amount of time people spend outside. Therefore, following the same logic, movement of these sea beings causes us humans to spend more time outside. Which, of course, is untrue.

A countries political landscape can be best understood by studying the history of said country. Not by measuring it's temperature.

[BlackCapital]

I have actually wondered the same thing as well, but I don't really believe theres any kind of scientific correlation.

Cuba and South America are not exactly cold and its currently the most active place on the planet for socialist revolution.

[Raúl Duke]

Spain is more to the left then Germany and the UK
Spain and Italy are more to the left then the UK and less authoritarian.

Spain and Italy are warmer then the UK and Germany, no?


The northern parts of the country are a lot more left-leaning than the southern parts

The left-leaning parts of Italy is in the "center" (Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche)...

[TheCagedLion]

I don't really know, but I have noticed that the more "north" you are moving in Western Europe, the more and more social benefits you will have.

Just look here:

[Picture of political compass]

I don't know if the same applies for North America, but it would be interesting if it did.

I think there is an actual climate correlation between temperature and the level of social benefits you will receive. That also probably have a factual reason, namely the fact that if you are homeless during the winter in a cold climate, you will most likely freeze to death.

Do you think there is a correlation?

I don't myself know whether or not there is a correlation.

Some countries on that chart are way out of line with what you're saying though. The UK and Spain are the most immediatly apparent.

By the same token, I could say that it seems the closer you are to Denmark, the better your social benefits apparently are.

[turquino]

Historically, the ruling class needed to share more wealth with the labourers of colder climates to provide them with more substantial shelter, clothing, and heating to keep them alive. In warmer countries the ruling class could get away with sharing a bit less to sustain the workers. Consequently the ruling classes could become quite wealthy while development languished. Times have changed though, and I don't think this is a very convincing excuse for people in the global north to receive more than their share anymore. Today the amount needed to reproduce a worker living in Sweden versus a worker living in Brazil is not 10-20x more. I would suggest that imperialist parasitism is what allows capitalism to provide high wages and generous social programs in Northern Europe.