Eroticism, Dream Imagery and Symbolism

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Democratic Theory and Policy Analysis: Four Models of "Policy, Politics and Choice"

This essay considers four ideal-type governance mechanisms from the perspective of democratic theory. It argues that democratic theory may help to make explicit the implicit value-choices embodied in these governance mechanisms, and so provide the basis for cross-value critical discourse. In addition, this cross-value discourse may be used to identify the appropriate normative, political and institutional settings for each mechanism.Dieser Beitrag vergleicht vier Idealtypen politischer Steuerungsmechanismen aus der Perspektive der Demokratietheorie. Die demokratietheoretische Betrachtung erlaubt es, die impliziten Wertentscheidungen, die stets mit der Wahl eines der verschiedenen Steuerungsmechanismen verbunden sind, explizit zu machen. Damit wird die Basis für einen werteübergreifenden kritischen Diskurs geschaffen. Die kritische Betrachtung einzelner Steuerungsmechanismen aus verschiedenen normativen Perspektiven erlaubt es, die normativen, politischen und institutionellen Bedingungen zu spezifizieren, unter denen ein bestimmter Steuerungsmechanismus eine gleichsam effektive und legitime Lösung politischer Problemlagen bietet

Welfare systems and adequacy of pension benefits in Europe

During the post-war years many European countries have implemented far-reaching but diverse pension systems with the objective of providing those in retirement with adequate incomes. In this study, we explore the link between pension systems and the adequacy of retirement income. We analyse the mix of public and private pensions and consider the impact of different policies on poverty rates amongst pensioners. We suggest that only a few European countries have been successful in providing combinations of private and public pensions that improve the adequacy of retirement income

Two decades of change in Europe: The emergence of the social investment state

Since the late 1970s, the developed welfare states of the European Union have been recasting the policy mix on which their systems of social protection were built. They have adopted a new policy orthodoxy that could be summarised as the 'social investment strategy'. Here we trace its origins and major developments. The shift is characterised by a move away from passive transfers and towards the maximalisation of employability and employment, but there are significant national distinctions and regime specific trajectories. We discuss some caveats, focusing on the question whether the new policy paradigm has been established at the expense of social policies that mitigate poverty and inequality. © 2012 Cambridge University Press

The matching problem within comparative welfare state research: How to bridge abstract theory and specific hypotheses

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