Renegotiating the Welfare State: Flexible Adjustment through Corporatist Concertation (Routledge Studies in the Political Economy of the Welfare State)

Why have some countries have been more successful in welfare state reform than others? This book examines the experiences of various countries in reforming their welfare states through renegotiations between the state and peak associations of employers and employees. This corporatist concertation has been blamed for bringing about all the ills of the welfare state, but lately corporate institutions have learned from their bad performances, modified their structures and style of operation, and assumed responsibility for welfare state reform. Consensual bargaining is back on the agenda of both policy makers and of social science. This topical volume with its internationally respected panel of contributors will appeal to all those interested in the welfare state and labour relations. It includes chapters focusing on the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland as well as a section looking at the role of corporatist concertation in the European Union. This comparative volume, studies the experiences of a variety of countries in reforming their welfare states through corporatist concertation. It features contributions from highly respected academics from across Europe and includes a series of in-depth case studies of countries including Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland. Looks at why some countries have been more successful in welfare state reform than others through examining the experiences of various countries in reforming their welfare states through renegotiations between the state and peak associations of employers and employees