Moral Elites and the Origins of State Pensions in the UK and Denmark: Resources, Networks, and Transnational Influence

Who were the key actors behind the transformative welfare policies that shaped modern societies? This study examines the role of moral elites—individuals deemed influential across sectors—in the case of early introduction of state pensions. Unlike existing studies that focus narrowly on political or bureaucratic elites, we adopt a broader perspective by analyzing the diverse social positioning and resources of all actors identified as influential in this transformative process. Using a comparative approach, we investigate whether the structure of moral elites—particularly their resources (economic, cultural, social, and symbolic)—shaped pension reforms in similar ways across the UK and Denmark, two long-lived Western democracies. Drawing on extensive biographical and career data, we combine multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and social network analysis (SNA) to map the positions, relations, connections and sectorial ties of these elites. Our findings reveal that academics and civil society actors, often overlooked in contemporary studies, played pivotal roles alongside political and bureaucratic figures. Furthermore, we demonstrate how transnational ties between elites in the UK and Denmark facilitated the exchange of ideas and strategies, underscoring the global dimensions of welfare state development at the start of the 20th century.