Despite widespread agreement over the connection between federalism and social expenditures during times of welfare state expansion, disagreement exists concerning federalism's role in the retrenchment era. Existing approaches fail to recognize institutional variation among federal states....

Researchers interested in the political consequences of the welfare state argue that cross-country variations in the design of social policy institutions produce distinct patterns of public support for the welfare state. This research proposes an institutional feedback effect in which welfare...

Despite widespread agreement over the connection between federalism and social expenditures during times of welfare state expansion, disagreement exists concerning federalism's role in the retrenchment era. Existing approaches fail to recognize institutional variation among federal states....