Age, Class, Politics, and the Welfare State

by Fred C. Pampel , John B. Williamson

• ISBN13: 9780521437912
• ISBN10: 0521437911
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1992-07-31
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

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.