This book examines the transformation of contemporary social democracy through the concept of 'third way' reforms. It proposes a set of theories about the possibility for continuing social democratic ideological adaptation, for ideologies to overcome institutional constraints in triggering path-breaking innovations, and for social democracy to bridge the insider-outsider divide. Empirically, the book utilizes these theories to account for social democratic welfare state and labor market reforms in nine OECD countries after the end of the Golden Age. Based on the logic of 'public evils', the book proposes that the ideologically contested nature of institutions provides incentives for institutional innovation. Social democratic ideology shapes the fundamental characteristics and content of the third way policy paradigm, and the paradigm's practical implementation continues to be path-dependent on historical institutional settings.
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1. Introduction; 2. Theorizing the third way; 3. Constraints on action: institutions and ideas; 4. Prelude to the third way; 5. Expansion in active protection; 6. Restructuring passive protection; 7. Economic and corporatist contexts for the third way; 8. Theories of possibilities.
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“Anyone who wishes to understand the changes in political-economic strategies European Social Democrats have undergone in the past two decades will want to turn to Huo’s detailed account. It provides a comprehensive overview, organized within a clear analytical framework that enables us to identify the differential explanatory power of important theoretical frameworks commonly employed in the comparative study of welfare states and macro-economic policy-making. More generally, Huo’s study helps to grasp the dynamic of institutional change.” -Herbert Kitschelt, Duke University
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This book examines the transformation of contemporary social democracy through the concept of 'third way' reforms in nine OECD countries.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781316501108
Publisert
2015-12-17
Utgiver
Vendor
Cambridge University Press
Vekt
619 gr
Høyde
248 mm
Bredde
151 mm
Dybde
4 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
374

Forfatter

Biographical note

Jingjing Huo earned his PhD from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and currently teaches at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. His primary research interest is comparative political economy and institutions, and his work appears in Comparative Political Studies, the Canadian Journal of Political Science, and the Journal of European Social Policy.