This paper describes welfare state transformation in OECD countries since the 1970s against the background of the post-war settlement. Relying on quantitative macro-data and qualitative information from the literature, we show that welfare states have converged, especially regarding various...

We examine whether a fundamental change in the core dimension of modern 20th century statehood, the welfare state, has become evident in response to changed exogenous and endogenous challenges. By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches we take stock of social policy development in...

This paper aims to describe and explain different welfare state responses to three major economic crises: the Oil Shocks of the 1970s, the worldwide recession of the 1990s and the current Financial Crisis. Policy developments in three small open economies – Sweden, the Netherlands and...

This paper critically discusses the status of narrative in political science methods. After reviewing the literature for existing definitions of the concept of narrative, it provides a new definition that serves as the background for the subsequent discussion of the merits of narrative as a...