Suppose justice requires reducing or minimizing certain inequalities, those that arise through no choice or fault of one's own. Or suppose that justice requires providing everyone, particularly the most vulnerable, with guarantees that the most basic goods needed to lead a decent and secure life will be provided. Or suppose a good or just society will reinforce or sustain a sense of community or solidarity among all members of society. Then on all of these views of a just or good society, it seems to follow straightaway that we should support government-financed and -administered health insurance, retirement pensions, and various government programs for the poor and needy. This seems to be the consensus among contemporary political philosophers. The aim of this book is to argue that this consensus is mistaken. According to the principles and values that are central in contemporary political philosophy, welfare-state institutions fail to be justified when compared with viable, more market-based alternatives – specifically, private compulsory insurance and private charities. Private compulsory insurance means the state requires all citizens to purchase insurance, and supplies a safety net, but otherwise leaves insurance to the market. Private charities are voluntary organizations devoted to helping the poor or the unfortunate. I will argue that private compulsory insurance is clearly superior to government-financed and -funded insurance, when judged by the standards prominent in contemporary political philosophy, and that private charities are superior to some government programs for the poor and no worse than others.