scholarly journals European integration and social convergence: A qualitative appraisal

2009 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Attia ◽  
Valérie Bérenger
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Maastricht Treaty ◽  
The Other ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Market Mechanisms ◽  
The Social ◽  
Welfare Systems ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Welfare State

Although with the Maastricht Treaty, European construction took a remarkable step forward, the robust pillar of the single currency started to shake the other one: the social welfare systems. The main goal of this contribution is to study the evolution of Social Protection in Europe by questioning the existence of a convergence between the different social welfare systems and the impact of the Treaty of Maastricht on this process. The evolution of the social protection concept in Europe, the reforms implemented in the most important domains of social protection: pensions, health and employment are analyzed. A common philosophy clearly appears. The welfare State is receding, calling more and more upon market mechanisms. Furthermore, the traditional binary typology is changing and countries are becoming more similar in their financing methods. We can thus say that a process of social convergence seems well and truly underway in the European Union.

scholarly journals Towards a political economy of welfare in Croatia

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (223) ◽  
pp. 105-136
Author(s):  
Paul Stubbs
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Family Values ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The World Bank ◽  
The Social ◽  
Welfare Implications ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Font Color

A political economy of social welfare in Croatia explores drivers of, and impediments to, change, addressing the impact of processes of neo-liberalisation, the complexities of regulatory and institutional landscapes and the interactions of nation, familialism, and class. Instead of a stable welfare regime, Croatia?s welfare system is marked by hybridity in the context of a political economy that continues to be crisis- prone. This paper focuses on the social welfare implications of the mix of ?crony?, ?authoritarian? and ?predatory? capitalism present in Croatia since independence. Other than the role of international actors including the World Bank and the European Union, and notwithstanding the lack of political will for reform, we suggest that two broad forces are dominant in shaping social welfare in Croatia. The first is war veterans? associations and their supporters, keen to maintain and even extend their significant benefits in return for continued support for the HDZ party (Croatian Democratic Union), a quasi-institutionalised form of ?social clientelism?. The second is an empowered radical right, promulgating a conservative Catholic agenda of a return to ?traditional? - that is, heteronormative - family values, reinforcing an aggressive Croatian nationalism and advocating ?demographic renewal?. <br><br><font color="red"><b> This article has been corrected. Link to the correction <u><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2298/EKA2024131E">10.2298/EKA2024131E</a><u></b></font>

Decent Incomes for All

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Minimum Income ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

This book aims to shed new light on recent poverty trends in the European Union, responses by European welfare states, and how progress can be made to realize a decent income for all. The text analyzes the effect of social and fiscal policies before, during, and after the recent economic crisis and studies the impact of alternative policy packages on poverty and inequality. Furthermore, the discussion elaborates on how social investment and local initiatives of social innovation can contribute to tackling poverty. There are reasons for both optimism and pessimism. The book argues that there are indeed structural constraints on the increase of the social floor and difficult trade-offs involved in reconciling work and poverty reduction. Differences across countries are, however, very large. This suggests that there is ample room for maneuver for policy makers. There is also no evidence of a universal deterioration of social protection. Nonetheless, we observe a persistent and almost general inadequacy of minimum income protection for jobless households, pointing to structural challenges for realizing a decent minimum income for all. To overcome these challenges, unavoidably, efforts to raise the wage and the social floor should be increased significantly almost everywhere. The book highlights that to do so, country-specific policy mixes should be designed.

scholarly journals The impact of the patent system on the social welfare: A critical view

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Gregorio Giménez
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Innovation Policy ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Patent System ◽  
Barriers To Entry ◽  
Market Mechanisms ◽  
Critical View ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: This article offers a critical view of the impact of patents on economic activity.Design/methodology/approach: We develop two analytic innovation models. They help us to understand how the strength of the patent system affects 1) the industry profits 2) the social welfare.Findings: The strengthening of patent systems could cause a decline in the activities of imitation and, therefore, a decrease in competition, a reduction in the production and assimilation of new technologies and could create barriers to entry into technology-intensive sectors, increasing the costs of production. We will show that a lower strength patent system and an increase in the activities of imitation can i) increase the benefits to industry as a whole ii) lead to greater social surplus.Originality/value and social implications: Much of the literature on innovation has traditionally seen imitation processes as harmful to the development of new technologies, and detrimental to the welfare of consumers, producers and society at large. That is why policies aimed at strengthening the patent system and discouraging imitation processes are associated with improvements in social welfare, —fostering innovation, trade, foreign investment and technology transfer—. However, our findings should lead us to rethink how optimal innovation policy should be designed. The problems associated with restrictions on the free market involve costs that outweigh the social benefits that patents can provide. Market mechanisms can effectively reward innovators for being the first to bring a product into the market, without the need to grant a monopoly.

Social Protection and Vulnerability

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Policy Choices ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Male Breadwinner ◽  
The Social ◽  
Racial Exclusion ◽  
Fair Wages ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In

This chapter surveys the interlocking ensemble of public policy choices made in Australia around the beginning of the twentieth century, tracing the impact they have had over time. Policies of tariff protectionism, wage arbitration, racial exclusion, and social welfare were embedded in institutions. Using the framework of historical institutionalism, the chapter charts the gradual demolition of these policies, and of the distinctive pattern of social protection they attempted to develop. Shifting from a highly protected economy to one more exposed to global forces undermined the old system of ‘domestic defence’, placing significant pressure on a male breadwinner wages system and on the social welfare institutions built on the presumption of fair wages. In this scenario, it is remarkable that the welfare system has remained largely intact.

scholarly journals O impacto da crise económica e financeira nas principais medidas de proteção social en Portugal

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Preciosa Maria Taveira Lousada
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Static Information ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Contributions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Family Allowance ◽  
Social Security Institute ◽  
The Welfare State

 Através da análise comparativa dos diplomas legais publicados e informação estatística disponibilizada pelo Instituto de Segurança Social, IP, propomos avaliar o impacto da crise económica e financeira de 2007/2008 nas principais medidas de proteção social vigentes em Portugal, nomeadamente o complemento solidário para idosos, subsídio de desemprego e de doença, abono de família para crianças e jovens, pensão de invalidez e velhice e, por último, o rendimento social de inserção. Na generalidade, todas as prestações sociais avaliadas foram perpassadas por alterações legislativas onerosas, expressas na redução dos montantes atribuídos, na supressão de benefícios, no período de concessão das mesmas e, naturalmente, no decréscimo de beneficiários, constituindo exceção a este último indicador (diminuição do número de beneficiários) o subsídio de desemprego e a pensão de velhice, circunstâncias suportadas nas consequências da crise e evolução desfavorável da demografia, respetivamente. Perante as evidencias encontradas, facilmente se pode concluir que a tendência para a implementação de políticas neoliberais de austeridade abalou os pilares do Estado de Bem-estar, ainda em construção, com repercussões diretas na vida de muitos cidadãos, sobretudo os mais vulneráveis. Through the comparative analysis of the published legal diplomas and static information available by the social security Institute IP, we aim to evaluate the impact of the financial and economic crisis of 2007/2008 in the main measures of social protection valid in Portugal, namely the solidarity complement for aged persons, unemployed and illness subsidy, family allowance for children and young, pension of invalidity and old age pension, and at last the social insertion income. In the generality, every available, social contributions have been passed by onerous legislative alterations, expressed in the reduction of the amounts attributed in the suppression of benefits, in the period of the concession of the same and of course in the decrease of benefits, in the period of concession of the same and obviously in the decrease of beneficiaries, being an exception to the last indicator (diminution of the number of beneficiaries) the unemployment subsidy and the old age pension, supported circumstances in the consequences of the crisis, and the adverse evolution of demography, respectively. Towards the found evidences, we can easily conclude that the tendency for the implementation of neoliberal politics of austerity, affected the pillars of the welfare State, still in construction, with direct consequences in the life of many citizens, above all, the more vulnerable. 

Social Welfare Policy: Preferences of Arab and Jewish Social Workers in Israel

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idit Weiss-Gal ◽  
John Gal
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Welfare Policy ◽  
Policy Preferences ◽  
Social Welfare Policy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Welfare State

Seeking to understand the impact of race and nationality on the attitudes of social workers towards social welfare policy, this study compares the attitudes of Arab and Jewish social workers in Israel. This analysis seeks to determine whether the attitudes of the two groups of social workers diverge and, if so, in what direction. Based on a sample of 110 social workers, evenly divided between Arabs and Jews, the findings revealed both similarities and differences in the social welfare policy references of the two groups of social workers. Although both supported the welfare state, they also expressed a lack of enthusiasm to finance it and a degree of skepticism regarding its impact. In contrast to their Jewish counterparts, Arab social workers were more supportive of the welfare state but did not support policies that were perceived as unsupportive of Arabs.

Nationalism and social welfare in the post-Soviet context

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Chandler
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
The Other ◽  
Theoretical Literature ◽  
Welfare Systems ◽  
Welfare Measures ◽  
The One ◽  
The Welfare State

This paper offers hypotheses on the role that state social welfare measures can play in reflecting nationalism and in aggravating interethnic tensions. Social welfare is often overlooked in theoretical literature on nationalism, because of the widespread assumption that the welfare state promotes social cohesion. However, social welfare systems may face contradictions between the goal of promoting universal access to all citizens on the one hand, and social pressures to recognize particular groups in distinct ways on the other. Examples from the post-Soviet context (particularly Russia) are offered to illustrate the ways in which social welfare issues may be perceived as having ethnic connotations.

Globalization and state-supported welfare

2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Kuen Kim
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Linear Hypothesis ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Auto Regression ◽  
Article Analyse ◽  
The Welfare State

English We analyze the impact of globalization on the social welfare effort among 18 affluent countries, concentrating on the curve-linear hypothesis. This study provides new empirical evidence on the relationship between globalization and the welfare state by employing auto-regression analysis. Based on the findings, we discuss several issues regarding the relationship. French Cet article analyse l’impact de la mondialisation sur l’aide sociale dans 18 pays riches, en faisant appel à l’hypothèse de la courbe linéaire (courbe de Philips). Cette étude fournit de nouvelles preuves concrètes sur la relation entre la mondialisation et l’aide sociale étatique en employant une analyse de régression. À la lumière des résultats, plusieurs enjeux découlant de cette relation sont examinés. Spanish Analizamos el impacto de la globalización en los esfuerzos de bienestar social a través de 18 países ricos, centrándonos en una hipótesis de curva lineal. Este estudio provee nuevas evidencias empíricas sobre la relación entre globalización y el Estado del Bienestar mediante la utilización de un análisis de regresión. Con base en los hallazgos, discutimos algunas cuestiones relativas a esta relación.

scholarly journals A Picture of the Social Situation

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 76-85
Author(s):  
Ildikó Laki
Keyword(s):  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Social Safety Net ◽  
The Social ◽  
Welfare Systems ◽  
Protection Systems ◽  
Institutional Network ◽  
Social Protection Systems

The main purpose of the current study was to outline and assess a picture of the Hungarian and international welfare systems. The social care system is an essential institutional network for the society, be it a system of specific institutions or legislation. The European Union’s approach mainly focuses on social responsibility and solidarity as its primary consideration. The European Union considers that social safety net and social protection systems cannot work without adopting this approach, and only the systems that offer true assistance to the members of the society can actually give assistance to the society. In addition to economic orientation, solidarity-based and socially inclusive attitude has a particularly important role to play, since it is much more than just funding to smooth out individual or social problems.

Moving Beyond Procedure

2002 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 784-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMIE KREPPEL
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
European Parliament ◽  
Decision Procedures ◽  
The Other ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Legislative Influence

This article examines the influence of the European Parliament (EP) within the legislative process of the European Union. Although debate over the impact of the cooperation and co-decision I procedures continues, this article argues that, in part, the current theoretical debate is a false one that has caused many of the other important variables that affect EP legislative influence to be ignored. This article briefly revisits the current debate, then proceeds to an analysis of the success of more than 1,000 EP amendments under the cooperation and co-decision procedures. This evidence suggests that numerous other variables, such as internal EP unity and type of amendment made, have a significant impact on EP success, even controlling for procedure. In addition, this comparison points out some empirical differences between the two procedures that have been largely ignored in the theoretical debate but that nonetheless have a significant impact of EP success and merit further study.

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