'In this ambitious book, Patricia Boling brings the comparativist's lens to the vitally important topic of how states succeed or falter in supporting working parents and their children. Rather than exploring the well-worn terrain of how 'Sweden does it best', she incisively asks what it is about states, political institutions, and political alliances that makes adoption of work-family policies more feasible in some countries than in others. This is an important book for all who care about improving individual well-being and opportunity across generations in twenty-first-century post-industrial societies.' Mary C. Brinton, Harvard University, Massachusetts
Preface; 1. Why work-family policies matter, and how best to study them; 2. Demographic and policy trends in OECD countries; 3. Familialist policies in France; 4. Germany enacts change; 5. Japan confronts low fertility and rapid aging; 6. The US relies on families and markets; 7. Evaluating work-family policies; 8. Why the US can't be Sweden.