Entitlement expansion occurs when benefits grow independently of contribution or recovery.
It converts support from intervention into structure.
What It Is
Entitlement expansion appears when:
- Benefits become permanent
- Eligibility widens without obligation
- Duration detaches from need
- Exit pathways disappear
Support becomes expectation.
Why It Appears
It emerges from:
- Moral framing without limits
- Political incentive to avoid enforcement
- Suppression of feedback
- Short-term legitimacy preservation
Intent is compassionate.
Effect is structural.
What It Indicates
Entitlement expansion indicates:
- Reciprocity failure
- Contribution disincentives
- Rising dependency
- Long-term fiscal exposure
It shifts systems from restorative to extractive.
What Follows
If uncorrected:
- Contribution declines
- Legitimacy erodes
- Coercive administration expands
- Late correction becomes severe
Closing
Entitlements without obligation exhaust the systems that sustain them.
Compassion that cannot end cannot endure.