In a comprehensive study of inter-party competition, economic variables, and welfare policies, Dawson and Robinson have uncovered a variety of relationships worthy of note. In addition to this positive contribution, their work has had some “negative results” in that it did not confirm the earlier, established notion that inter-party competition is a primary determining factor of the nature and scope of welfare policies. The purpose of this note is to indicate an alternative hypothesis—one which is consistent not only with the Dawson and Robinson data but with the findings of Golembiewski, Key, and Lockard as well.