The social protection system in France is based on the principle of solidarity. Solidarity is the sense of responsibility of individuals in society to help each other. This is all for the common good (Spicker). To promote solidarity, France has a social protection system that includes universal rights, social insurance, means-tested public assistance and tax expenditure programs. One aspect of the French social protection system is that of universal rights. One of the universal rights of the French social system is health insurance. Every French citizen can benefit from health insurance. For working citizens, both the employer and employee fund the insurance. However, the government funds health care for the unemployed. For both employed and unemployed people, there is no deductible. The French health system seems to work rather well since it is ranked among the best in the world according to the World Health Organization (Capell 2007). Free crèche services for every child aged three and over constitutes another universal right. Once the child is of school age, an additional universal right is put in place. All French citizens benefit from free education. This free education does not just stop after secondary education. In fact, there are 86 universities in France to which access is free. (Rochefort). Universal rights constitute only one aspect of the French social protection system. Another component of the social protection system is means-tested public assistance. For housing alone, there are two types of means-tested public aid: social housing and mortgage subsidies. There is government-owned housing for those who need it, such as low-income citizens. In addition to public housing...... middle of paper ......work weeks, stock and financial advice. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042070.htm (accessed December 6, 2013). Evans, Martin. “New economy”. Faults linked to resource conditions. www.martin-evans.org/assets/files/MeansTestingFlawsNewEconomy.pdf (accessed December 6, 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 December 6, 2013). Wingert, Jamie. “Case Studies and Country Links”. University of Pittsburgh. http://www.pitt.edu/~heinisch/ca_fran.html (accessed December 6, 2013).2011. “Make work pay.” Economist 399, no. 8738:60-61. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 6, 2013).