This paper maps and explains the reactions of four welfare states - Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden - to three global crisis situations - the oil shocks of the 1970s, the worldwide recession of the early 1990s, and the financial crisis from 2008 onwards. Two main conclusions...

Introduction: towards a political economy of social policy -- The historical origins of welfare systems, 1945-80 -- Social policy in Latin America, East Asia and Eastern Europe, 1945-1980: an overview -- The expansion of welfare commitments in Latin America, 1945-80 -- The evolution of social...