| This article examines whether or not OECD welfare states have converged since 1980.
Making use of a variety of concepts of convergence, we analyse the development of
a broad range of quantitative welfare state indicators, including several
expenditure-based indicators, revenue patterns, benefit replacement rates and
decommodification. Contrary to what one might expect from much of the theoretical
literature, we find that, although there is evidence of moderate welfare state
convergence, it is limited in magnitude, various in directionality and contingent
upon the indicator under examination. Overall, our findings do not provide any
strong evidence either for a race to the bottom or for the Americanization of
social policy, the two most common convergence scenarios encountered in supposedly
informed public policy commentary. |
Starke, Peter
Obinger, Herbert
Castles, Francis G.
2008
in: Journal of European Public Policy 15:7, 975-1000
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