Welfare States in Transition

by Collier, Irwin L.

• ISBN13: 9780333738450
• ISBN10: 0333738454
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-06-01
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Social policy in East and West finds itself today in the middle of a fundamental transition. The former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the successor states to the former Soviet Union are attempting to create the institutions needed for a modern market economy and a modern democratic welfare state. At the same time, the mature welfare states of Europe are struggling to solve the contemporary financial crisis of their systems of social entitlements. Because of fundamental economic and demographic trends, these systems will become increasingly difficult to sustain over the coming decades.

Author Biography

Irwin Collier is Professor in the Economics Department, Free University Berlin. His main research topics are social and labour market economics, especially in the countries of Middle and Eastern Europe and in the Neue Lander. Herwig Roggemann is Professor of Law and Director of the East European Institute of the Free University Berlin. His main field of research is privatization in Central and Eastern Europe. Oliver Scholz is Lecturer in the Economics Department, Free University Berlin. His main fields of interest are the theory of economic policy reform, political economy and social policy. Horst Tomann is Professor of Economics in the Economics Department, Free University Berlin. His main field of research is applied economics with particular focus on economics of integration and development. He is director of the research project 'Conditions of Economic Development in Central and Eastern Europe'.

Table of Contents

List of Tables	vii
List of Figures	viii
Preface	ix
Notes on the Contributors	x
Introduction	xiii
Irwin Collier
Horst Tomann
Part I Conceptual Issues of the Market Society
The Market Economy and its Ethical Infrastructure	3	(13)
Marie Bohata
Comment on Chapter 1	16	(9)
Elinor Scarbrough
Functional Change in Property Rights in the Welfare State: Lessons from the Federal Republic of Germany	25	(16)
Herwig Roggemann
Comment on Chapter 2	41	(9)
Ronald A. Brand
The State of Corporatism in a Central Europe in Transition	50	(43)
Reinhard Heinisch
Part II Social Policy in Transition
The Role of Social Policy during the Transformation in Central Europe	93	(19)
Oliver Scholz
Horst Tomann
Comment on Chapter 4	112	(2)
Emil J. Kirchner
Political Economy of Social Welfare Reform: the Parliamentary Election of 1996 in the Czech Republic	114	(23)
Frantisek Turnovec
Comment on Chapter 5	137	(3)
Kai. A. Konrad
Enlargement of the European Union and the Harmonization of Public Pension Systems	140	(18)
Ondrej Schneider
Comment on Chapter 6	158	(9)
Catryn Ross
Part III Dynamics of Income Inequality
Social Cohesion and transition Dynamics	167	(7)
Jens Holscher
Income Distribution in Transition Economies and its Dynamics	174	(11)
Miron Tegze
Comment on Chapter 8	185	(4)
Hans Weisfeld
The Share and Position of Minimum Income Categories of Households in the Czech Republic	189	(13)
Marie Vavrejnova
Comment on Chapter 9	202	(3)
Mirian Beblo
Index	205