The 2008 economic crisis destabilized the world s financial centers and ushered in a global economic slowdown, but the effects of the recession have not been uniform. As"Social Policy in Challenging Times"skillfully reveals, the global crisis can be better understood as a variety of crises, each mediated by its national context. Employing a fruitful international approach, the contributors to this timely book examine the recession s effects on social policy at different levels in different countries, illuminating the forces reshaping welfare system under radically altered circumstances."