This book, edited by Yusuf Bangura, examines the complex relations between democracy and social policy. Economic development is a necessary but not sufficient condition for welfare development. In advanced industrial democracies, variations in welfare provision are explained by differences in the reach and organization of unions, presence of Left parties in government, and social pacts that reconcile the conflicting interests of unions, employers and the state. Social security provision is limited in democracies with low levels of industrialization, even though some countries with a social democratic orientation seem to have done well. In such low-income democracies, traditions of political rights, improvements in electoral competitiveness, and a pro-active judiciary may empower social movements to pressure governments to introduce progressive social reforms. Social policies can aid democratic transitions that are highly polarized, those that involve both political and market liberalization, and those that occur in deeply divided multiethnic societies. They improve the security of citizens, contribute to social solidarity, encourage disadvantaged groups to have faith in the democratic regime, and delegitimize violent alternatives.
Contents
Democracy and Social Policy Development: Introduction and Overview;
Y.Bangura & C.-J.Hedberg
Democratization and Social Policy Development in Advanced Capitalist Societies;
J.D.Stephens
Democratization and Social Policy Development in Japan;
T.Shinkawa
Democratization and Social Policy in Southern Europe: From Expansion to 'Recalibration';
M.Ferrera
Democratization and Social Policy in East Central Europe;
T.Cox
The Latin American Social States: Critical Junctures and Critical Choices;
F.Filgueira
Democracy and Well Being in India;
N.Chandhoke
Democracy and Social Policy in Botswana;
N.Keitseope
The Ballot Box and Social Policy in Mauritius;
S.Bunwaree
Democracy and Social Policy in Jamaica;
J.Jones
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