The Crisis Imperative: Crisis Rhetoric and Welfare State Reform in Belgium and the Netherlands in the Early 1990s

ISBN-13: 9789053568088 / Angielski / Miękka / 2005 / 236 str.

Sanneke Kuipers

Opis

Belgium and the Netherlands were perfect examples of the "welfare without work" policy that characterized European welfare states -- until a political crisis in both countries during the early 1990s produced a surprising divergence in administration. While Belgium's government announced major reforms, its social security policy remained relatively resilient. In the Netherlands, however, policymakers implemented unprecedented cutbacks as well as a major overhaul of the disability benefits program. "The Crisis Imperative" explains this difference as the result of crisis rhetoric--that is, the deliberate construction of a crisis as the imperative for change. It will be a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in welfare reform in the United States and abroad.