The welfare system in France is based on the principle of solidarity. Solidarity is the sense of responsibility of individuals in society to help each other. All this is for the common good (Spicker). In order to promote solidarity, France has a welfare system that includes universal rights, social insurance, income-based public assistance and fiscal spending programs. One aspect of the French welfare system is universal rights. A universal right within the French welfare system is health insurance. Every French citizen can have health insurance. For working citizens, the employer and employee both finance the insurance. However, the government pays for the healthcare of the unemployed. There is no deductible for both employed and unemployed people. The French healthcare system seems to work quite well as it is ranked as the best in the world according to the World Health Organization (Capell 2007). Another universal right is the provision of free nursery for every child aged three and above. Once the child is old enough to attend school, a further universal right is established. All French citizens receive a free education. This free education does not end only after secondary education. In fact, in France there are 86 free entry universities. (Rochefort). Universal rights are just one aspect of the French welfare system. Another component of the welfare system is income-based public assistance. Only for housing there are two types of income-related public aid: social housing and subsidized mortgages. There is government-owned housing for the needy such as low-income citizens. In addition to state housing... at the heart of the paper......sinessweeks, stock market and financial advice. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042070.htm (accessed 6 December 2013). Evans, Martin. "New Economy". It means testing for defects. www.martin-evans.org/assets/files/MeansTestingFlawsNewEconomy.pdf (accessed 6 December 2013)Rochefort, Harriet. “Facts about education in France.” Education in France. www.understandfrance.org/France/Education. (accessed December 6, 2013)Spicker, Paul. "The Welfare State". An introduction to social policy. http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/wstate.htm#France (accessed 6 December 2013). Wingert, Jamie. "Case studies and national connections". University of Pittsburgh. http://www.pitt.edu/~heinisch/ca_fran.html (accessed December 6, 2013).2011. “Making the work count.” Economist 399, n. 8738:60-61. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 6, 2013).