Is the Welfare State Justified?
- Author: Daniel Shapiro, West Virginia University
- Date Published: July 2007
- availability: Temporarily unavailable - available from TBC
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9780521860659
Hardback
Other available formats:
Paperback, eBook
Looking for an inspection copy?
This title is not currently available for inspection. However, if you are interested in the title for your course we can consider offering an inspection copy. To register your interest please contact [email protected] providing details of the course you are teaching.
-
In this book, Daniel Shapiro argues that the dominant positions in contemporary political philosophy - egalitarianism, positive rights theory, communitarianism, and many forms of liberalism - should converge in a rejection of central welfare state institutions. He examines how major welfare institutions, such as government-financed and -administered retirement pensions, national health insurance, and programs for the needy, actually work. Comparing them to compulsory private insurance and private charities, Shapiro argues that the dominant perspectives in political philosophy mistakenly think that their principles support the welfare state. Instead, egalitarians, positive rights theorists, communitarians, and liberals have misunderstood the implications of their own principles, which in fact support more market-based or libertarian institutional conclusions than they may realize. Shapiro's book is unique in its combination of political philosophy with social science. Its focus is not limited to any particular country; rather it examines welfare states in affluent democracies and their market alternatives.
Read more- Argues that supporters of the welfare state should, following their own premises, actually oppose it
- Does comparative institutional analysis: compares real welfare state institutions with real market-based alternatives
- Combines focus on basic principles in political philosophy with social science analysis of institutions
Reviews & endorsements
'This is a marvellous, unusual book. It's one of the few attempts in political philosophy that go beyond examining what principles of justice require, by investigating whether contemporary institutions designed to produce those outcomes actually do better than realistic alternatives.' Jeffrey Friedman, editor of Critical Review
See more reviews'This book is an important addition to the debate about the welfare state. [This book is an] extensive and quite remarkable survey of the social science literature on the operation of the relevant institutions and his integration of this material into arguments for and against the welfare state.' Eric Mack, Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: July 2007
- format: Hardback
- isbn: 9780521860659
- length: 336 pages
- dimensions: 234 x 155 x 23 mm
- weight: 0.578kg
- availability: Temporarily unavailable - available from TBC
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Central perspectives in political philosophy
3. Health insurance, part I
4. Health insurance, part II
5. Old-age or retirement pensions
6. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part I
7. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part II
8. Conclusion.Instructors have used or reviewed this title for the following courses
- American Social Policy
- Comparative welfare state policies
- Current Issues in National Politics
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email [email protected]
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×