Synopses & Reviews
During the last decade, many European countries introduced extensive reforms to the way that income protection and activation programmes for the unemployed are implemented and delivered. This book analyzes and compares these reforms in nine European countries, focusing on the reforms programmes themselves, as well as on their effects.
About the Author
RIK VAN BERKEL is Associate Professor at the Utrecht School of Governance, The Netherlands. He has published in various international academic journals as well as edited volumes on issues including activation policies, welfare state reforms, governance and frontline work.
WILLIBRORD DE GRAAF is Associate Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. His research interests include welfare state developments, especially labour market and activation, the transition of school to work of young migrants, and homelessness.
TONÁŠ SIROVÁTKA is Professor of Social Policy at the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. His research is focused on labour market, employment and social policy. He has published in several monographs and journals on activation and employment policies, social inclusion and transformation of the welfare state in Central Europe.
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Notes on Contributors
Acknowledgements
The Governance of Active Welfare States; R.van Berkel, W.de Graaf & T.Sirovátka
The Administration of Income Provision and Activation Services; R.van Berkel
Accelerating Governance Reforms: The French Case; A.Eydoux & M.Béraud
Fragmented Governance Continued: The German Case; I.Dingeldey
Steering with Sticks, Rowing for Rewards: The New Governance of Activation in the UK; S.Wright
The Governance of Activation Policies in Italy: From Centralized and Hierarchical to a Multi-level Open System Model?; P.R.Graziano & A.Raue
The Liberal Governance of a Non-liberal Welfare State? The Case of the Netherlands; R.van Berkel & W.de Graaf
Marketization in a Federal System: New Modes of Governance in Unemployment Insurance and Social Assistance in Switzerland; F.Ehrler & F.Sager
Governance of Activation Policies in the Czech Republic: Uncoordinated Transformation; T.Sirovátka & J.Winkler
Decentralization and Back to Centralization: The Swedish Case; R.Minas
Governance of Integrated Activation Policy in Finland; V.Karjalainen & P.Saikku
The Governance of Active Welfare States in Europe in a Comparative Perspective; R.van Berkel, W.de Graaf & T.Sirovátka