Alternatives for Welfare Policy: Coping with Internationalisation and Demographic Change

by Edited by Torben M. Andersen , Per Molander

• ISBN13: 9780521814065
• ISBN10: 0521814065
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-09-15
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Demographic change and increasingly international markets are putting severe pressure on developed welfare states in the OECD countries. The contributors to this book assess the magnitude of these challenges and discuss in depth, and in concrete terms, what policy options are open to meet them. Looking at public service production, social insurance, tax policy and debt policy, they examine the main costs and benefits associated with an extensive welfare state and ask whether the same objectives can be reached with a welfare regime that is less costly. They also discuss whether the organization of the welfare state is capable of meeting future challenges facing a changing society. This rigorous analysis draws on empirical material from OECD countries with a focus on the Scandinavian countries.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction T. M. Andersen and P. Molander

2. International integration and the welfare state T. M. Andersen

3. The changing age structure and the public sector T. Lindh

4. Emigration from the Scandinavian welfare states P. J. Pedersen, M. Rø

ed and L. Schrö

der

5. Productivity and costs in public production of services J. Rattsø

6. Use of fees in the provision of public services in OECD countries C. Emmerson and H. Reed

7. Privatisation of social insurance with reference to Sweden L. Sö

derströ

m and K. Rikner

8. Occupational welfare A.-C. Stå

hlberg

9. Pathways to retirement and retirement incentives in Sweden M. Palme and I. Svensson

10. Social insurance and redistribution P. Pestieau

11. Assessing the effect of introducing welfare accounts in Sweden S. Fö

lster, R. Gidehag, M. Orszag and D. Snower

12. Taxation in a global economy B. Huber and E. Norrman

13. Taxation and education investment in the tertiary sector F. Andersson and K. Konrad

14. Debt strategies for Sweden and Europe M. Flodé

n

15. Policy options for reforming the welfare state T. M. Andersen and P. Molander.