How does the introduction of ‘choice’ affect the pooling of risks in European welfare states? The case of long-term care

Ongoing reforms of European welfare states that aim at increasing ‘choice’ for patients, clients, and beneficiaries provide a unique opportunity to explore what exactly drives these reforms and how they reconstitute communities of economic risks. Traditionally, the solidaristic bargain underpinning European welfare states revolved around the twin objectives of a redistribution of resources and a pooling of risks (Baldwin, 1990). Much of the retrenchment literature to date has focused on the income distributive effects of dwindling resources to explain changes in European welfare states. We postulate that more profound changes in welfare arrangements are being driven by the introduction of ‘consumer choice’ which is compatible with welfare expansion of new welfare state pillars. Our case study on long term care explores in particular, what choices users get and whether this allow us to infer the thrust behind ‘choice’ reforms as well as the effects on the pooling of risks in European welfare states. We find that welfare state expansion in long-term care has responded to growing demand and that there is a great variety in the cost-sharing arrangements which cannot all be subsumed under the imperative of cost containment

Acyclic social welfare

In this paper we show that if the Pareto relation is acyclic then the set of all Pareto optimal social states coincides with chosen social states of acyclic Paretian social welfare relations. Subsequently we show that given an acyclic Paretian social welfare relations the set of all social states chosen by it coincides with the set of all states chosen by strict Paretian extensions whose strict extension is the given social welfare relation.acyclic, Paretian, social welfare

Incentives in the Welfare State

This paper deals with economic incentives and welfare-state arrangements in OECD countries; it also offers some lessons for would-be welfare states. These arrangements differ, of course, among OECD countries. In particular, there is wide variation in the extent to which countries rely on four basic institutions - the state, the firm, the family and the market. Countries also differ in their reliance on (i) a common safety net, often in the form of flat-rate benefits tied to specific contingencies; (ii) means-tested benefits for low-income groups; and (iii) income protection, i.e., benefits that are tied to previous income. Another distinction is between corporatist welfare states, where benefits are tied to labor contracts, and universal welfare states in which benefits are conditional on residence or citizenship. This distinction is blurred, however, by recent tendencies in corporatist welfare states to extend coverage to individuals who have very weak attachment to the labor market, and in universal welfare states to tie benefits to previous or contemporary work under the slogan “workfare” rather than “welfare”.economic incentives; welfare-state arrangements

Making the Link: Pregnancy Prevention and the New Welfare Era

Making the Link: Pregnancy Prevention in the New Welfare Era offers strategies to prevent unintended pregnancy in an era in which the nation's welfare program has a changed mission, more money, and greater reach. The enactment of the 1996 welfare law allows federal welfare funds to be spent on an array of pregnancy prevention activities and family planning services; furthermore, welfare funds are no longer limited to welfare recipients who receive grants -- funds may be spent on individuals who have never been a part of the welfare system. These fundamental policy changes, along with nearly $8 billion of unspent welfare funds, allow states to consider whether and how to invest in a range of strategies to prevent unintended pregnancy. The law permits, but does not require, any such investment. Nevertheless, a number of states are creating new ways to address unintended pregnancy. Some states are linking welfare offices and family planning services -- through co-location, information dissemination, referrals, case management, education, and training. Others are tapping welfare funds to provide education, information, or services to those who might never enter a welfare office. Some programs target adults, others teens; some include a focus on males. Making the Link seeks to provide insight into different types of links and how to make them work

Don\u27t Be Cruel (Anymore): A Look at the Animal Cruelty Regimes of the United States and Brazil with A Call for A New Animal Welfare Agency

In the United States and around the world, animals exploited for human use suffer cruel and needless harm. The group bearing the brunt of this exploitation--agricultural animals--is routinely exempted from the largely ineffective and rarely enforced animal welfare and anti-cruelty regulations that exist today. This Article offers a comparative analysis of the agricultural animal welfare regimes of two countries with globally significant presence in the agriculture industry: the United States and Brazil. Even though the two countries approach agricultural animal welfare differently, they arrive at the same outcome: institutionalized indifference to animal suffering. To remedy the current regulatory structure, this Article proposes the creation of an independent federal agency--The Animal Welfare Agency (“AWA”)--to regulate the safety and welfare of all animals, including those used in agriculture. The AWA could significantly reduce systemic animal cruelty in both the United States and Brazil and represent an important step toward inserting morality and ethics into our relationships with animals

Welfare finance reform: District states could face funding challenges

Welfare finance reform could have a substantial fiscal impact on the budgets of some states in the Tenth district, although the ability to cope with reform will vary from state to state. This article discusses some of the proposed changes in welfare funding and the effect they may have on the states in the Tenth District. Each state's ability to offset potential reductions in welfare funding will depend on their own budget resources and whether additional funds are provided to states with limited resources and higher administrative costs.Federal Reserve District, 10th ; Welfare

Welfare Incentives and Interstate Migration: An Analysis of the Migration Decisions of Poor, Single Mothers

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of welfare incentives in the decision to move for poor, single mothers. Using micro-level data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and other sources, I develop an econometric model that estimates the influence of state welfare benefits on the interstate migration decisions of poor, single mothers, whether that be moving from states with low benefits or to states with high benefits. This study builds upon previous literature concerning interstate migration by considering new methodological approaches and theoretical models. Ultimately, the evidence suggests that while the welfare benefits offered at the current state of residence and those at potential states of residence influence the migration decisions of poor, single mothers, the effects are modest

Are European welfare states sustainable?

European welfare states face serious financial difficulties caused by persistent high levels of unemployment and demographic ageing. Serious organisational problems are accompanied by inefficiency. Fiercer international competition and closer European integration put pressure on social policy in the EU member states, and creates competition between national welfare states. Sustainable European welfare states in general and maintainable social security systems in particular require fundamental reform. In this paper a plan for a common EU-wide safety-net is presented. The current proposal differs considerably from previous proposals involving the establishment of a basic income, wage subsidies, an earned income tax credit or workfare. Simulations show that the proposal is both effective and efficient.