Federalism and the Welfare State: New World and European Experiences

ISBN-13: 9780521611848 / Angielski / Miękka / 2005 / 380 str.

Herbert Obinger; Stephan Leibfried; Francis G. Castles

Opis

Ten experts question prevailing views that federalism always inhibits the growth of social solidarity. Their comparative study of the evolution of political institutions and welfare states in the six oldest federal states--Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the U.S.--reveals that federalism can facilitate and impede social policy development. Development is contingent on several time-dependent factors and this study suggests that federalism may actually protect the welfare state, and welfare states may enhance national integration.

Recenzje

'Pioneers the study of federal institutional arrangements and social policy making within the broader field of study concerning territorality and welfare. ... can be read with profit not only by students of federalism and the welfare state, but by anyone interested in the wider themes of both territorial dimension of power and the social development of our advanced democracies.' European Journal of Social Security

Spis treści

Preface; 1. Introduction: Federalism and the welfare state Herbert Obinger, Francis G. Castles and Stephan Leibfried; Part I. New World Experiences: 2. Australia - federal constraints and institutional innovations Francis G. Castles and John Uhr; 3. Canada - nation-building in a federal welfare Keith Banting; 4. The United States – federalism and counterfactuals Kenneth Finegold; Part II. European Experiences: 5. Austria - strong parties in a weak federal system Herbert Obinger; 6. Germany - cooperative federalism and the overgrazing of the fiscal commons Philip Manow; 7. Switzerland - the marriage of direct democracy and federalism Herbert Obinger, Klaus Armingeon, Giuliano Bonoli and Fabio Bertozzi; 8. Conclusion: old and new politics in federal welfare states Stephan Leibfried, Francis G. Castles and Herbert Obinger.