Rich democracies : political economy, public policy, and performance / Harold L. Wilensky.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wilensky, Harold L.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Welfare state--Case studies.

Welfare state.

Comparative government.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xxxi, 891 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm

Place of Publication:

Berkeley : University of California Press, [2002]

Summary:

In this landmark work, the culmination of thirty years of systematic, comprehensive comparison of nineteen rich democracies, Harold L. Wilensky answers two basic questions about their similarities and differences: (1) What is distinctly modern about modern societies -- in what ways are they becoming alike? (2) How do variations in types of political economy shape system performance? Rich Democracies is a definitive account of what taxing, spending, and public policies mean for the well-being of people.

Drawing on data covering the past fifty years and more than four hundred interviews he conducted with top decision-makers, Wilensky provides a richly detailed account of the common problems modern governments confront and their contrasting styles of conflict resolution. He concludes with a fresh look at theories of "American exceptionalism." The result is new light on the likely paths of development of rich democracies as they become richer.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 777-867) and index.

ISBN:

0520231767

0520232798

OCLC:

47831595