Welfare and Work in the Open Economy Vol. 2 ' Diverse Responses to Common Challenges '

In this ground-breaking two-volume study of the adjustment of advanced welfare states to international economic pressures leading scholars detail the wide variety of responses in twelve countries. Rejecting any notion of convergence to some kind of neo-liberal orthodoxy they find that most countries have remained true to the basic features of their postwar model as they have liberalized. Moreover within different welfare- state constellations while some countries are still struggling to adjust others have reached a new sustainable equilibrium. Volume I presents comparative analyses of differences in countries'' vulnerabilities and capabilities the effectiveness of the policy responses and the role of values and discourse in the politics of adjustment. Volume II presents in-depth analyses of the experiences of Australia Austria Belgium Denmark France Germany Italy the Netherlands New Zealand Sweden Switzerland and the United Kingdom as well as special studies on the the participation of women in the labour market early retirement the liberalization of public services and international tax competition.