6 Liberal welfare states
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Elke Heins
Abstract
This chapter discusses contemporary challenges for liberal welfare states. We first describe the key features of the liberal welfare regime from an ideal-type perspective. Then we discuss central developments in liberal welfare states. This overview is mainly based on aggregate data covering a variety of specific social policy areas as well as data on social expenditure, poverty and inequality. Third, we analyse the extent to which liberal welfare states are prepared to cope with challenges including fiscal pressures due to demographic change, migration, the digitalisation of the labour market, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. We conclude by commenting on the questions these challenges raise for liberal welfare states in a postpandemic context and the likelihood of any policy learning from the pandemic being realised
Abstract
This chapter discusses contemporary challenges for liberal welfare states. We first describe the key features of the liberal welfare regime from an ideal-type perspective. Then we discuss central developments in liberal welfare states. This overview is mainly based on aggregate data covering a variety of specific social policy areas as well as data on social expenditure, poverty and inequality. Third, we analyse the extent to which liberal welfare states are prepared to cope with challenges including fiscal pressures due to demographic change, migration, the digitalisation of the labour market, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. We conclude by commenting on the questions these challenges raise for liberal welfare states in a postpandemic context and the likelihood of any policy learning from the pandemic being realised
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
-
Part I Research methods
- 1 Contemporary welfare states and their challenges 3
- 2 Four families of theories to understand welfare state change 13
- 3 Evidence-Based Policy-Making 29
-
Part II Welfare regimes
- 4 Nordic welfare states: up to challenge? 47
- 5 Continental European welfare states 65
- 6 Liberal welfare states 85
- 7 The Southern European welfare model 101
- 8 Eastern European welfare states 119
- 9 In search of a suitable path for welfare system development in China 135
- 10 East Asia: welfare determinants and issues in the post-developmentalism era 151
-
Part III Issues and challenges
- 11 Health policy in a comparative perspective 173
- 12 COVID-19 and the welfare state: impacts, mechanisms, and responses 187
- 13 Through the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives for the welfare state 213
- 14 Long-Term Care in ageing societies 233
- 15 Pension 255
- 16 The legitimacy of the welfare state in the age of migration 271
- 17 Education and the welfare state: worlds of early school leaving in Europe 285
- 18 Economic inequality – a growing issue? 309
- 19 Poverty in the five welfare regimes of Europe 321
- 20 Employment and unemployment 343
- 21 Sustainability 359
- 22 Populism 375
- 23 Behavioural public policy 389
- 24 North–South divide and global social policy 403
- 25 Incentives-disincentives – the benefit side of the welfare states 417
-
Part IV Future research needs
- 26 The future of welfare states? 433
- Contributors to this volume 439
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
-
Part I Research methods
- 1 Contemporary welfare states and their challenges 3
- 2 Four families of theories to understand welfare state change 13
- 3 Evidence-Based Policy-Making 29
-
Part II Welfare regimes
- 4 Nordic welfare states: up to challenge? 47
- 5 Continental European welfare states 65
- 6 Liberal welfare states 85
- 7 The Southern European welfare model 101
- 8 Eastern European welfare states 119
- 9 In search of a suitable path for welfare system development in China 135
- 10 East Asia: welfare determinants and issues in the post-developmentalism era 151
-
Part III Issues and challenges
- 11 Health policy in a comparative perspective 173
- 12 COVID-19 and the welfare state: impacts, mechanisms, and responses 187
- 13 Through the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives for the welfare state 213
- 14 Long-Term Care in ageing societies 233
- 15 Pension 255
- 16 The legitimacy of the welfare state in the age of migration 271
- 17 Education and the welfare state: worlds of early school leaving in Europe 285
- 18 Economic inequality – a growing issue? 309
- 19 Poverty in the five welfare regimes of Europe 321
- 20 Employment and unemployment 343
- 21 Sustainability 359
- 22 Populism 375
- 23 Behavioural public policy 389
- 24 North–South divide and global social policy 403
- 25 Incentives-disincentives – the benefit side of the welfare states 417
-
Part IV Future research needs
- 26 The future of welfare states? 433
- Contributors to this volume 439
