Welfare and the Great Recession

...the volume, replete with in-depth analyses on Greece, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, the UK, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, provides for a unique and timely reflection on European welfare state futures. * Anton Hemerijck, European University Institute, Europe Now *
The analyses developed in this book offer an important and original contribution to our understanding of the impact of the Great Recession on different social groups and households across Europe, and of the crucial role of political choices in shaping these differential outcomes. A must-read book for sociologists, economists, and policy makers. * Professor Chiara Saraceno, Honorary Fellow, Collegio Carlo Alberto and University of Turin, Italy *
This excellent volume, edited by four renowned scholars, assesses countries throughout Europe, spanning cases with diverse welfare state models and recessions that struck with varied force. It tells a clear but complex story, concluding that welfare state features and specific policy responses were crucial in shaping the recession's effects on millions of European households. * Janet C. Gornick, Professor of Political Science and Sociology, Graduate Centre, City University of New York; Director of Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality, USA. *
In this impressive volume world-leading analysts of social policy and social inequality show that the effects of the 2007-2015 recession were very unevenly distributed, such that some "boats" sank much deeper and stayed down longer than others. Some governments made choices that enabled a quick recovery, while others made choices that prolonged the misery. Even more strikingly, the distribution of that economic misery depended strongly on social policies and political institutions. This persuasive, lively book will become an important touchstone in the comparative analysis of recession effects on inequality and foreshadows political responses to the next. * Jason Beckfield, Professor of Sociology, Harvard University, USA *
This important book traces the varying extent to which European welfare states were able to cushion vulnerable groups from the impact of the Great Recession, effectively demonstrating that comprehensive, well-funded and efficient welfare states can really work. Its in-depth, painstaking analysis of country case-studies highlights how choices made by governments are key, even where highly constrained, and brings outthe multiple challenges facing the welfare state as a political project. Essential reading. * Brian Nolan, Professor of Social Policy, University of Oxford, UK *