The achievements of social-welfare arrangements in Western Europe are well known: considerable income security, relatively little poverty and, in some countries, ample supply of social services. But there are also well-known weaknesses and hence considerable scope for improvement. Three types of...

It is useful to distinguish between exogenous and endogenous factors behind contemporary and expected future problems for the welfare state. This paper tries to identify major problems of both types and to indicate alternative reform possibilities to deal with them. At the same time as several...

Developing countries, in particular the least developed ones, probably have more to learn from social policies in Europe during the early 20th century than from the elaborate welfare-state arrangements after World War II. In addition to macro­economic growth and stability, the main ambitions...

This paper tries do motivate the discussion of evaluation problems in the context of social programs. Initially, the text explores the point of view that social programs should be recognized as complex organizations. In the case, there are multiple objectives, decentralization, and coordination...

In Deutschland werden mehr als 30 Prozent des Sozialprodukts für Soziales ausgegeben, und der Staat greift mit seinen Sozialgesetzen massiv in die Handlungsfreiheit seiner Bürger ein. In diesem Buch werden normative Begründungen sowohl für staatliche Umverteilungsmaßnahmen als auch für die...

There is a growing realisation of the importance of strenghthening the preventive, developmental, promotive, transformative, integrative and re-integrative context of social protection in sub-saharan Africa - through ensuring that poor and vulnerable people are linked to labour market and...

This paper provides an overview of the development of the conceptual framework underlying social protection programming and policy among the key international development institutions active in this sector. It sets out the historical, institutional and political factors underlying the current...

Many people in Europe do not receive the social benefits to which they are entitled. This is the case across countries and for many types of benefits. Addressing this ‘non-take-up’ of benefits is critical for two key reasons: benefits do not fulfil their objective if they do not reach the...