Recasting Welfare Capitalism : Economic Adjustment in Contemporary France and Germany

In "Recasting Welfare Capitalism", Mark Vail employs a sophisticated and original theoretical approach to compare welfare states and political-economic adjustment in Germany and France. He examines how and why institutional change takes place and what factors characterize economic evolution when moving from times of prosperity to more austere periods and back again. Covering the 1970s to the present, Vail analyzes social and economic reforms, including labor policy, social-insurance, and anti-poverty programs. He focuses on the tactics and actions of key political players, and demolishes the stagnation argument that suggests that France and Germany have largely frozen political economies, incapable of reform. Vail finds these respective evolutions involve interrelated changes in social and economic policies and are characterized by political relationships that are continuously renegotiated - often in unpredictable ways. In the process, he presents a compelling re-conceptualization of change in both the welfare state and the broader political economy during an age of globalization. In Recasting Welfare Capitalism, Mark Vail employs a sophisticated and original theoretical approach to compare welfare states and political-economic adjustment in Germany and France. He examines how and why institutional change takes place and what factors characterize economic evolution when moving from times of prosperity to more austere periods and back again. Covering the 1970s to the present, Vail analyzes social and economic reforms, including labor policy, social-insurance, and anti-poverty programs. He focuses on the tactics and actions of key political players, and demolishes the stagnation argument that suggests that France and Germany have largely frozen political economies, incapable of reform. Vail finds that these respective evolutions involve interrelated changes in social and economic policies and are characterized by political relationships that are continuously renegotiated—often in unpredictable ways. In the process, he presents a compelling reconceptualization of change in both the welfare state and the broader political economy during an age of globalization.

recasting Welfare Capitalism, Employs A Sophisticated And Original Theoretical Approach To Compare Welfare States And Political-economic Adjustment In Germany And France. Mark Vail Examines How And Why Institutional Change Takes Place And What Factors Characterize Economic Evolution When Moving From Times Of Prosperity To More Austere Periods And Back Again. These Respective Evolutions Involve Interrelated Changes In Social And Economic Policies And Are Characterized By Political Relationships That Are Continuously Renegotiated-often In Unpredictable Ways.

covering The 1970s To The Present, Vail Analyzes Social And Economic Reforms, Including Labor-policy, Social-insurance, And Antipoverty Programs. He Focuses On The Tactics And Actions Of Key Political Players And Demolishes The Stagnation Argument That Suggests That France And Germany Have Largely Frozen Political Economies Incapable Of Reform. The Result Is A Compelling Reconceptualization Of Change In Both The Welfare State And The Broader Political Economy During An Age Of Globalization.

This work employs a sophisticated and original theoretical approach to compare welfare states and political-economic adjustment in Germany and France. Mark Vail examines how and why institutional change takes place and what factors characterize economic evolution when moving from times of prosperity to more austere periods and back again. These respective evolutions involve interrelated changes in social and economic policies and are characterized by political relationships that are continuously renegotiated--often in unpredictable ways. Covering the 1970s to the present, Vail analyzes social and economic reforms, including labor-policy, social-insurance, and antipoverty programs. He focuses on the tactics and actions of key political players and demolishes the stagnation argument that suggests that France and Germany have largely frozen political economies incapable of reform. The result is a compelling reconceptualization of change in both the welfare state and the broader political economy during an age of globalization Contents......Page 8 List of Tables......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 18 Introduction: Recasting Welfare Capitalism in an Age of Austerity......Page 22 1 The Politics of Austerity in Advanced Industrial Democracies......Page 37 2 The Rise and Fall of the Postwar Golden Age and the Development of French and German Welfare Capitalism......Page 54 3 Recasting France’s Political-Economic Order: The Demise of Dirigisme and the Turn to the Market ......Page 71 4 German Reunification and the Economic and Social Incorporation of Eastern Germany......Page 87 5 Modernizing the French and German Labor Markets in an Age of Austerity......Page 103 6 The Shifting Politics of French and German Social-Insurance Reform......Page 136 7 New Social Rights in France and Germany......Page 165 Conclusion: French and German Welfare-Capitalist Adjustment in Historical and Comparative Perspective......Page 182 Notes......Page 194 Index......Page 242 Contents 8 List of Tables 10 Preface 12 Abbreviations 18 Introduction: Recasting Welfare Capitalism in an Age of Austerity 22 1 The Politics of Austerity in Advanced Industrial Democracies 37 2 The Rise and Fall of the Postwar Golden Age and the Development of French and German Welfare Capitalism 54 3 Recasting France’s Political-Economic Order: The Demise of Dirigisme and the Turn to the Market 71 4 German Reunification and the Economic and Social Incorporation of Eastern Germany 87 5 Modernizing the French and German Labor Markets in an Age of Austerity 103 6 The Shifting Politics of French and German Social-Insurance Reform 136 7 New Social Rights in France and Germany 165 Conclusion: French and German Welfare-Capitalist Adjustment in Historical and Comparative Perspective 182 Notes 194 Index 242 1592139671,9781592139675 Temple University Press