Title: Rich democracies : political economy, public policy, and performance /
Authors: Wilensky, Harold L.
Publisher: University of California Press,
Year: 2002
Subjects: Welfare state Case studies.; Comparative government.
Abstract: In this culmination of 30 years of systematic, comprehensive comparison of 19 rich democracies which draws on quantitative data, case studies, and interviews covering the last 50 years, Wilensky answers two basic questions: (1) What is distinctly modern about modern societies--in what ways are they becoming alike? (2) How do variations in types of political economy shape system performance? He specifies similarities and differences in the structure and interplay of government, political parties, the mass media, industry, labor, professions, agriculture, churches, and voluntary associations. He then demonstrates how differences in bargaining arrangements among these groups lead to contrasting policy profiles and patterns of taxing and spending, which in turn explain a large number of outcomes: economic performance, political legitimacy, equality, job security, safety and risk, real health, the reduction of poverty and environmental threats, and the effectiveness and fairness of regulatory regimes. [publisher web site].
Contents: Convergence theory -- Types of political economy -- Mass society, participation, and the mass media -- Theories of the postindustrial society -- The welfare state : convergence and divergence -- Sector spending and program emphasis -- Types of political economy, party ideology, and family policy : contrasting government responses to a common problem -- The American welfare mess in comparative perspective -- Tax-welfare backlash : how to tax, spend, and yet keep cool -- Are political parties declining? : and analysis of national variation in dealignment -- Types of political economy, spending, taxing, and economic performance -- The great American job machine in comparative perspective -- Risk and safety : American mayhem in comparative perspective -- Types of political economy, regulatory regimes, and the environment -- Health performance : affluence, political economy, and public policy as sources of real health -- Globalization : does it subvert job security, labor standards, and the welfare state? -- American exceptionalism and policy implications.