The Welfare State: A Very Short Introduction

David Garland

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Welfare states vary across nations and change over time. And the balance between markets and government; free enterprise and social protection is perennially in question. But all developed societies have welfare states of one kind or another - they are a fundamental dimension of modern government. And even after decades of free-market criticism and reform, their core institutions have proven resilient and popular.

This Very Short Introduction describes the modern welfare state, explaining its historical and contemporary significance and arguing that far from being 'a failure' or 'a problem', welfare states are an essential element of contemporary capitalism, and a vital concomitant of democratic government. In this accessible and entertaining account, David Garland cuts through the fog of misunderstandings to explain in clear and simple terms, what welfare states are, how they work, and why they matter.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Book Details

Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publish Date: Jun 1st, 2016
Pages: 176
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 6.80in - 4.50in - 0.30in - 0.30lb
EAN: 9780199672660
Categories: • Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare• Comparative Politics

About the Author

David Garland is the Arthur T. Vanderbilt Professor of Law and Professor of Sociology at New York University. He is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh and taught there from 1979 to 1997 before moving to the USA. A Fellow of the British Academy and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Garland is the author of a series of award-winning books on punishment and criminal justice, including The Culture of Control (OUP 2001) and Peculiar Institution: America's Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition (OUP 2010), and the editor of Mass Imprisonment: Social Causes and Consequences (Sage, 2001). His recent work on the welfare state has appeared in the European Journal of Sociology.

Praise for this book

"This slender and yet weighty little book has no rival anywhere. It is the authoritative introduction for anyone remotely interested in the welfare state." - Gosta Esping-Andersen, Professor of Sociology at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra

"It is amazing how dimensions of historical origins, nation-building, power resources, institutional legacies and varieties of welfare regimes are covered with utmost clarity. I find Garland's short introduction of the welfare state truly unparalleled." - Prof. Dr. Anton Hemerijck, Centennial Professor of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science

"Garland's robustly researched book is invaluable to anyone wishing to gain a comprehensive overview of the welfare state ... It is not only a long overdue reference that fills the gaps in the literature, providing readers with a big picture of the past and current developments, but will become also a longstanding reference for students and researchers who are interested in the field of social welfare studies and policy research." - Huibing Ke, Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare