"After more than four decades of real income stagnation, ever-increasing inequality and household financial distress, this book explores how the very fabric of our society is under threat. It argues that although capitalism is imperfect, it can be improved, and harnessing its forces of...

1. Does economic growth ultimately lead to a "noble life"? : a comparative analysis of the predictions of Mill, Marshall and Keynes / Arrigo Opocher -- 2. The debate on education financing in the classical perspective / Mario Pomini -- 3. The role of the public sector in the thought of Hyman...

On the premise that pension provision in Europe will dramatically change over the next few decades, this book concentrates on the funded component of pension wealth, and specifically on annuities - financial products that, on the basis of actuarial equivalence, allow the conversion of wealth...

This book provides a comprehensive appraisal of social security in Japan, where traditionally the burden of welfare provision has been the main responsibility of the family and employers, rather than the state. However, an ageing population, changes in family structure and continued recession...

This book focuses on arrangements for redistributing consumption opportunities over the life cycle and for providing compensation for income losses or large expenditures due to reasons such as illness and unemployment. After extensive coverage of the nature of inequalities in income and wealth...

This book presents an evidence-based assessment of the impact of EU enlargement on industrial relations and social standards in old and new EU Member States. It combines chapters which give an overview of the process of enlargement/integration and comparative socio-economic data at EU and...

Social welfare policy -- Comparative social welfare policy -- Traditional public interest model -- The public choice perspective -- Government and its bureaucracy -- The origins of the new welfare law -- The genesis of the new welfare law -- Institutional analysis -- An econometric analysis of...

1. Some difficulties in the existing theory of externalities -- 2. Coase and all that -- 3. More on why government? -- 4. The poor -- 5. The legacy of Bismarck -- 6. Some biological problems -- 7. The rich -- 8. The survey of the existing system -- 9. Rent seeking -- 10. War -- 11. Monarchies...

This collection of essays is a state-of-the-art analysis of key issues confronting the European Union. Identifying European economic integration as one of the defining features of modern international economics, the authors examine many aspects and consequences of this integration which remain...

In light of the recent and ongoing surge of interest in Alfred Marshall's work, this new and original reference volume fills a gap in the literature through a detailed examination of his thought and of his contributions to economics and social science. The Companion places Alfred Marshall's...