Description
Book SynopsisWestern Welfare Capitalisms in Good Times and Bad provides an insightful appraisal of policy priorities and outcomes in four Western regimes: the Anglo-American liberal regimes, Southern European ‘proto-corporatist’ regimes, the historically social democratic Scandinavian regimes, and Western European conservative-corporatist regimes.
Trade Review‘This book not only offers many statistical indicators that describe the social situations in the countries studied very well, but it also clarifies terms that often cause confusion. For example, it explains how the term “liberal” is used in different cultures.’ -- Gert G. Wagner, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany
‘This book provides a comprehensive, comparative analysis of recent welfare state policies and achievements. Drawing on national and international data, the authors examine welfare policies and outcomes before, during and after the financial and Covid crises. The findings are innovative, compelling and at times provocative, but always engaging and thought-provoking. The book is essential reading for welfare state scholars, students and anyone interested in the recent socio-economic history of capitalist nations.’ -- Peter Saunders, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Table of ContentsContents: PART I WELFARE-CAPITALIST REGIMES: POLICY PRIORITIES AND POLICY OUTCOMES 1. What are governments for? 2. Worlds of welfare capitalism 3. International comparisons, international data PART II COMPARING POLICY PERFORMANCE. 4. The Global Financial Crisis: a crisis within the economic system 5. Reducing poverty and income inequality 6. Wealth inequality: the one that got away 7. Reducing gender inequality 8. Enhancing personal autonomy 9. Promoting economic growth and rising living standards 10. Promoting economic security and social stability 11. Enhancing life satisfaction: a shared priority? PART III A CURRENT CRISIS: COPING WITH COVID. 12 Coping with Covid: public health responses – the trade-off that didn’t exist 13 Coping with Covid: fiscal, monetary, labour market, welfare and environmental policy responses PART IV WESTERN WELFARE CAPITALISMS: CONVERGENCE OR CONTINUITY. 14. Welfare-capitalist regimes in the 21st century: still delivering distinctive policy outcomes, little evidence of convergence Appendix 1. Ireland: a welfare-capitalist regime that defies classification Appendix 2. Western welfare publics support the welfare state ‒ in principle References Index
