Capitalism, Democracy, and Welfare

ISBN-13: 9780521613071 / Angielski / Miękka / 2005 / 336 str.

Massachusetts) Torben Iversen (Harvard University

Opis

Based on the key idea that social protection in a modern economy, both inside and outside the state, can be understood as protection of specific investments in human capital, Torben Iversen offers a systematic explanation of popular preferences for redistributive spending, the economic role of political parties and electoral systems, and labor market stratification (including gender inequality). Contrary to the popular idea that competition in the global economy undermines international differences in the level of social protection, Iversen argues that these differences are actually made possible by a high international division of labor.

Recenzje

'… a comprehensive perspective on the historical origins of the different welfare production regimes that came to define the post-war political economies of Europe, North America and Japan … sheds considerable light on the rapid and almost uninterrupted expansion of the welfare state since the 1950s … Students of development economics and others interested in the historical trajectory of the OECD economies will find this book rewarding.' Development Policy Review

Spis treści

Part I. Welfare Production Regimes: 1. A political economy approach to the welfare state; 2. A brief analytical history of modern welfare production regimes; Part II. Political Foundations of Social Policy: 3. Explaining individual social policy preferences; 4. Social protection and elections; Part III. Forces of Change: 5. Coping with risk: the expansion of social protection; 6. New tradeoffs, new policies: challenges of the service economy; Bibliography.