Age, Class, Politics, and the Welfare State

This analysis of the growth of welfare spending examines the relative impact of class and status groups versus demographic composition and political structures.

Fred C. Pampel (Author), John B. Williamson (Author)

9780521437912, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 31 July 1992

218 pages, 30 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.2 cm, 0.3 kg

'The theoretical issues involved in the topic are clearly laid out and pursued throughout the book in an informative way, and the implications of the empirical results for those issues are fully addressed. The conclusions offer a fresh perspective on the welfare state that emphasizes the joint importance of demographic and political factors.' Robert Jackman

This analysis of the growth of welfare spending examines the relative impact of class and status groups versus demographic composition and political structures. Special attention is given to the role of the aged as representative of the importance of ascription and middle-class groups in welfare growth, and to the effect of welfare spending on income inequality. Aggregate cross-national data from the UN, ILO, and the World Bank are analysed and the conclusion is drawn that a large aged population, especially in combination with democratic political processes, is a direct and crucial influence on the level of welfare spending.

Preface
1. The welfare state: some neglected considerations
2. Theoretical perspectives on the welfare state
3. Social welfare spending in advanced industrial democracies
4. Social welfare spending and democratic political context
5. Economic growth, social welfare spending, and income inequality
6. Infant mortality, equality, and social welfare spending
7. Conclusions: the causes and consequences of the welfare state
References.

Subject Areas: Welfare & benefit systems [JKSB], Sociology & anthropology [JH]