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Policy change at a time of retrenchment: Recent pension reform in France, Germany, Italy and the UK

Taylor-Gooby, Peter (1999) Policy change at a time of retrenchment: Recent pension reform in France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Social Policy & Administration, 33 (1). pp. 1-19. ISSN 0144-5596. (doi:10.1111/1467-9515.00128) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:16674)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9515.00128

Abstract

Two influential recent approaches to social policy in Europe imply (for different reasons) that the reforms currently on the agenda, which typically involve cost-containment, are peculiarly difficult to achieve. Esping-Andersen sees much of Europe as set in a "frozen welfare landscape": due to the power of the interests advantaged by the status quo. Pierson sees retrenchment as a peculiarly difficult Problem for all governments, regardless of their political ideology. This paper reviews recent pension policy in France, Germany, Italy and the UK. It argues that developments in Germany indicate that it ir possible to achieve appropriate policy change in the country which is often used as the paradigm of entrenched interests without major restructuring of the system. Conversely, recent reforms in the UK(seen by Pierson as the country which has achieved the most rapid changes) appear disproportionate to the scale of the problems faced and may have damaged pensioners' interests. This indicates that the capacity to achieve substantial reform is not necessarily in itself a virtue. The real issue is the quality of reform achieved.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/1467-9515.00128
Uncontrolled keywords: pensions; retrenchment; reform; innovation; European Union
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: F.D. Zabet
Date Deposited: 21 Mar 2009 11:29 UTC
Last Modified: 05 Nov 2024 09:51 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/16674 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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