Welfare State Change: Towards a Third Way?

by Jane Lewis, Rebecca Surender

Overview

The politics of the Third Way reflects an attempt by many contemporary social democracies to forge a new political settlement which is fitted to the conditions of a modern society and new global economy, but which retains the goals of social cohesion and egalitarianism. It seeks to differentiate itself as distinct from the political ideologies of the New Right and Old Left. Though commonly linked to the US Democratic Party in the Clinton era, it can also be traced to the political discourses in European social democratic parties during the mid-1990s, most notably in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In social policy terms the model attempts to transcend the old alternatives of the state and the market. Instead, civil society, government, and the market are viewed as interdependent and equal partners in the provision of welfare, and the challenge for government is to create equilibrium between these three pillars. The individual is to be 'pushed' towards self-help, and independent, active citizenship, while business and government must contribute to economic and social cohesion.

This book provides a comprehensive and critical analysis of 'Third Way' social policy and policy processes in the welfare systems of industrialized economies, and examines the extent to which 'Third Way' ideology and institutional structures converge or vary in different national settings. It examines substantive areas of public policy in a broad comparative context of key trends and debates. By assessing the extent to which the post-war social contract in developed welfare states is being renegotiated, the text contributes to a better understanding of the current restructuring and modernization of the State. Finally the book explores the implications of the new politics of welfare for theorizing inequality, social justice, and the future of welfare.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199266739
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/23/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 6.32(h) x 0.56(d)

Table of Contents

Part 1: Policy Contexts and Concepts1. Modern Challenges to the Welfare State and the Antecedents of the Third Way, Rebecca Surender2. Welfare Philosophy and the Third Way, Stuart White3. One Third Way or Several?, Giuliano Bonoli and Martin PowellPart 2: Policy Areas, Goals, and Mechanisms4. Moderninzing the State: A New Style of Governance?, Janet Newman5. Does the Third Way Work?: The Left and Labour Market Policy Reform in Britain, France, and Germany, Jochen Clasen and Daniel Clegg6. Third Sector - Third Way: Comparative Perspectives and Policy Reflections, Helmut Anheier7. Changing Conceptions of Family and Gender Relations in European Welfare States and the Third Way, Mary DalyPart 3: Conflicts and Challenges8. The Third Way's Social Investment State, Ruth Lister9. The Implications of Third Way Social Policy for Inequality, Social Cohesion, and Citizenship, Hartley Dean10. What is New Labour? Can it Deliver on Social Policy?, Jane Lewis

Editorial Reviews

"A useful resource and its central question of whether the Third Way offers a viable basis for future social policy deserves to be widely discussed." —Social Development Issues

From the Publisher