Full Idea
The welfare state provides the background conditions under which it is reasonable to expect one's fellow citizens to commit to liberal principles of interaction, even if those conditions can only be achieved through a degree of compulsion.
Gist of Idea
Welfare is needed if citizens are to accept the obligations of a liberal state
Source
John Charvet (Liberalism: the basics [2019], 05)
Book Reference
Charvet,John: 'Liberalism: the basics' [Routledge 2019], p.48
A Reaction
You cannot expect people to accept the role of 'free' citizen if that is likely to result in swift misery. A liberal state will only command loyalty if it has a safety net. Fully committed liberalism implies modest socialism.