Surveying the welfare state: challenges, policy development and causes of resilience

This paper takes a closer look at the supposed mechanisms behind German welfare state resilience, which are given in mainstream institutionalist theories. I focus on reform hurdles associated with the make-up of the German welfare state, both at the macro-level (principles) as well as at the meso-level (programmes), exposing systematically mechanisms of path-dependence and other sources of policy stickiness. In addition, I zoom in on the political- institutional sources of resilience. This survey of institutional reform obstacles is complemented by a review of reform pressures and policy developments in the main social policy areas, old age pensions, health care, and unemployment policy between 1975 and 2004. The main conclusion is that despite numerous sources of pressure for far-reaching welfare state reform, the various mechanisms of resilience have made for a pattern of incremental reform, although a number of structural reforms have occurred fairly recently. -- Dieses Arbeitspapier befasst sich mit den Mechanismen, die gemäß institutionellen Wohlfahrtstaatstheorien die Reformresistenz des deutschen Sozialstaats erklären sollen. Es richtet sich dabei auf Reformhindernisse, die auf der institutionellen Struktur des Wohlfahrtsstaats beruhen, sowohl auf Makroniveau (sozialstaatliche Prinzipien) als auch auf Mesoniveau (Teilbereiche). Dabei legt es systematisch dar, wo sich tatsächlich Pfadabhängigkeiten und andere Ursachen von Veränderungsresistenz verbergen. Darüber hinaus wird auf die politisch-institutionellen Quellen der Reformresistenz eingegangen. Die Analyse wird ergänzt durch eine Besprechung der Ursachen des wachsenden Reformdrucks und einer Übersicht der Policy-Entwicklung der letzten 30 Jahre in den Teilbereichen Rente, Arbeitslosenversicherung und Gesundheitspolitik. Das Papier kommt zu dem Schluss, dass trotz des erheblichen Reformdrucks die zahlreichen Resistenzmechanismen ein Muster inkrementeller Veränderungen zur Folge hatten und dieses erst in den letzten Jahren durch eine Reihe von Strukturreformen unterbrochen wurde.

Surveying the welfare state: challenges, policy development and causes of resilience

Dieses Arbeitspapier befasst sich mit den Mechanismen, die gemäß institutionellen Wohlfahrtstaatstheorien die Reformresistenz des deutschen Sozialstaats erklären sollen. Es richtet sich dabei auf Reformhindernisse, die auf der institutionellen Struktur des Wohlfahrtsstaats beruhen, sowohl auf Makroniveau (sozialstaatliche Prinzipien) als auch auf Mesoniveau (Teilbereiche). Dabei legt es systematisch dar, wo sich tatsächlich Pfadabhängigkeiten und andere Ursachen von Veränderungsresistenz verbergen. Darüber hinaus wird auf die politisch-institutionellen Quellen der Reformresistenz eingegangen. Die Analyse wird ergänzt durch eine Besprechung der Ursachen des wachsenden Reformdrucks und einer Übersicht der Policy-Entwicklung der letzten 30 Jahre in den Teilbereichen Rente, Arbeitslosenversicherung und Gesundheitspolitik. Das Papier kommt zu dem Schluss, dass trotz des erheblichen Reformdrucks die zahlreichen Resistenzmechanismen ein Muster inkrementeller Veränderungen zur Folge hatten und dieses erst in den letzten Jahren durch eine Reihe von Strukturreformen unterbrochen wurde. [Autorenreferat]"This paper takes a closer look at the supposed mechanisms behind German welfare state resilience, which are given in mainstream institutionalist theories. I focus on reform hurdles associated with the make-up of the German welfare state, both at the macro-level (principles) as well as at the meso-level (programmes), exposing systematically mechanisms of path-dependence and other sources of policy stickiness. In addition, I zoom in on the political-institutional sources of resilience. This survey of institutional reform obstacles is complemented by a review of reform pressures and policy developments in the main social policy areas, old age pensions, health care, and unemployment policy between 1975 and 2004. The main conclusion is that despite numerous sources of pressure for far-reaching welfare state reform, the various mechanisms of resilience have made for a pattern of incremental reform, although a number of structural reforms have occurred fairly recently." (author's abstract

Ideational leadership in German welfare state reform: how politicians and policy ideas transform resilient institutions

The author of this innovative study argues that key politicians and their policy ideas, through "ideational leadership", have played an important role in the passing of structural reforms in the change-resistant German welfare state. This argument is based on in-depth case studies of individual reforms in health care, pensions and unemployment insurance since the early 1990s as well as a concise analysis of recent changes in family policy. Stiller concludes that Germany, traditionally a Bismarckian welfare state, has embarked on a path of 'hybridisation' that confronts German politics with growing societal divisions. This thought-provoking title is highly recommended for policymakers, scholars and students interested in the past and future reforms of the German welfare state, leadership, and the role of ideas in policymaking.Hoe worden ingrijpende hervormingen in de alom als weerbarstig beschouwde Duitse welvaartsstaat doorgevoerd? Dit boek betoogt dat het 'ideeëngerichte leiderschap' van vooraanstaande politici in belangrijke mate invloed heeft uitgeoefend op de institutionele veranderingen in het sociaal beleid. Sabina Stiller baseert haar bevindingen op diepgaande case studies van afzonderlijke hervormingen in de gezondheidszorg, pensioenen en werkloosheidsverzekering sinds het begin van de jaren '90 van de vorige eeuw. De auteur biedt een langetermijnperspectief op beleidshervormingen binnen deze gebieden, maar ook op gezinsbeleid waar recentelijk aanzienlijke hervormingen hebben plaatsgevonden. Ideational Leadership in German Welfare State Reform concludeert dat deze 'Bismarckiaanse' verzorgingsstaat zich op een pad van 'hybridisering' bevindt, die de Duitse politiek confronteert met groeiende sociale ongelijkheid. Dit boek is onmisbaar voor studenten, academici en mensen die geïnteresseerd zijn in de rol van beleidsideeën, leiderschap en de recente hervormingen van de Duitse welvaartsstaat

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

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Ideational Leadership in German Welfare State Reform

The author of this innovative study argues that key politicians and their policy ideas, through "ideational leadership", have played an important role in the passing of structural reforms in the change-resistant German welfare state. This argument is based on in-depth case studies of individual reforms in health care, pensions and unemployment insurance since the early 1990s as well as a concise analysis of recent changes in family policy. Stiller concludes that Germany, traditionally a Bismarckian welfare state, has embarked on a path of 'hybridisation' that confronts German politics with growing societal divisions. This thought-provoking title is highly recommended for policymakers, scholars and students interested in the past and future reforms of the German welfare state, leadership, and the role of ideas in policymaking.Hoe worden ingrijpende hervormingen in de alom als weerbarstig beschouwde Duitse welvaartsstaat doorgevoerd? Dit boek betoogt dat het 'ideeëngerichte leiderschap' van vooraanstaande politici in belangrijke mate invloed heeft uitgeoefend op de institutionele veranderingen in het sociaal beleid. Sabina Stiller baseert haar bevindingen op diepgaande case studies van afzonderlijke hervormingen in de gezondheidszorg, pensioenen en werkloosheidsverzekering sinds het begin van de jaren '90 van de vorige eeuw. De auteur biedt een langetermijnperspectief op beleidshervormingen binnen deze gebieden, maar ook op gezinsbeleid waar recentelijk aanzienlijke hervormingen hebben plaatsgevonden. Ideational Leadership in German Welfare State Reform concludeert dat deze 'Bismarckiaanse' verzorgingsstaat zich op een pad van 'hybridisering' bevindt, die de Duitse politiek confronteert met groeiende sociale ongelijkheid. Dit boek is onmisbaar voor studenten, academici en mensen die geïnteresseerd zijn in de rol van beleidsideeën, leiderschap en de recente hervormingen van de Duitse welvaartsstaat

Ideational Leadership in German Welfare State Reform

The author of this innovative study argues that key politicians and their policy ideas, through "ideational leadership", have played an important role in the passing of structural reforms in the change-resistant German welfare state. This argument is based on in-depth case studies of individual reforms in health care, pensions and unemployment insurance since the early 1990s as well as a concise analysis of recent changes in family policy. Stiller concludes that Germany, traditionally a Bismarckian welfare state, has embarked on a path of 'hybridisation' that confronts German politics with growing societal divisions. This thought-provoking title is highly recommended for policymakers, scholars and students interested in the past and future reforms of the German welfare state, leadership, and the role of ideas in policymaking

The interplay of actor-related strategies and political context: a fuzzy-set QCA analysis of structural reforms in continental welfare states

<p>European welfare states face numerous challenges which often necessitate risky policy choices. This article focuses on the role of key political actors, asking which actor-related strategies, under certain conditions, lead to structural reforms. These strategies are ideational leadership or reform-enhancing blame-avoidance strategies, combined with two political-contextual conditions. Four set-theoretic hypotheses about combinations of the latter and structural reforms are examined, using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The data include 16 reform cases in four continental welfare states that are notoriously hard to reform: Germany; Austria; the Netherlands; and France. The findings show that the two actor-related strategies matter for structural reform in combination, while contextual conditions function as their complements. Distant elections are indeed conducive to such reforms, while governments with a positive or negative welfare image achieve them along different paths: either combined with two strategies; or, when elections are distant, combined with ideational leadership or concession-making.</p