The Economics of the Welfare State

Although written for economics students, a diverse readership, including students of social administration and public policy, should benefit from this text. Each of the technical chapters has an appendix which explains the results in non-technical terms. This edition includes additional sections on the definition and objectives of the welfare state, and on the analysis of insurance. The policy chapters take account of the major changes in recent years: the 1988 social security reforms, the NHS reforms, and the effects of the 1988 Education Reform Act. The concluding chapter explains the inability of the Thatcher and Reagan governments of the 1980s significantly to roll back the frontiers of the welfare state.