Welfare State Reforms Seen from Below: Comparing Public Attitudes and Organized Interests in Britain and Germany

Description

Studying the political economy of welfare state reform, this edited collection focuses on the role of public opinion and organized interests in respect to policy change. It highlights that welfare states are hard pressed to reform in order to cope with ongoing socio-economic and demographic challenges. While public opinion is commonly seen to oppose welfare cuts and organized interests such as trade unions have tended to defend acquired social rights, this book shows that there have been emergent tendencies in favour of reform. Welfare State Reforms Seen from Below analyses a wide range of social policies affecting healthcare, pensions and the labour market to demonstrate how social groups and interest organizations differ and interact in their approaches to reform. Comparing Britain and Germany, with its two very different welfare states, it provides a European perspective on the changing approaches to welfare. This book will be of interest to those wanting to learn more about the politics of the welfare state and of relevance to students and academics in the fields of political economy and comparative social policy. Front Matter ....Pages i-xvi Introduction: Analysing Organized Interests and Public Opinion Towards Welfare Reforms (Bernhard Ebbinghaus, Elias Naumann)....Pages 1-23 Front Matter ....Pages 25-25 Membership or Influence Logic? The Response of Organized Interests to Retirement Age Reforms in Britain and Germany (Julia Klitzke)....Pages 27-54 Between Power and Persuasion: Explaining the Introduction of Statutory Minimum Wage Laws in Britain and Germany (J. Timo Weishaupt)....Pages 55-79 Positions of Interest Groups Towards Labour Market Reforms in Germany: A Novel Content Analysis of Press Releases (Christopher Buss, Benedikt Bender)....Pages 81-105 Class, Union, or Party Allegiance? Comparing Pension Reform Preferences in Britain and Germany (Bernhard Ebbinghaus, Elias Naumann)....Pages 107-128 Demand for Healthcare Reform by Public Opinion and Medical Professionals: A Comparative Survey Analysis (Claus Wendt, Elias Naumann)....Pages 129-152 Front Matter ....Pages 153-153 The Popularity of Pension and Unemployment Policies Revisited: The Erosion of Public Support in Britain and Germany (Bernhard Ebbinghaus, Elias Naumann)....Pages 155-186 Trust in Ageing Societies: Confidence in Pensions Across Europe (Elias Naumann)....Pages 187-209 Does Population Ageing Change Pension Reform Attitudes? A Survey Experiment on Political Knowledge, Ideology, and Preferences (Elias Naumann)....Pages 211-243 Increasing Conflict in Times of Retrenchment? Attitudes Towards Healthcare Provision in Europe Between 1996 and 2002 (Elias Naumann)....Pages 245-271 Conclusion: The Influence from Below—How Organized Interests and Public Attitudes Shape Welfare State Reforms in Europe (Bernhard Ebbinghaus, Elias Naumann)....Pages 273-287 Back Matter ....Pages 289-297