Rich Democracies

Political Economy, Public Policy, and Performance

Harold L. Wilensky

Preface and Acknowledgments

PART I: PATHS OF DEVELOPMENT OF RICH DEMOCRACIES

CHAPTER 1: Convergence Theory

Family Structure and Political Demands

Female Labor-Force Participation Increased Fertility Rates and Household Size Declined and Divorce Rates Increased

The Push for Equality Among Minorities

Ethnicity and Religion Blacks vs. Others Why Variation in the Integration of Minorities? Gender Equality Age and Equality Summary

The Rise of Mass Higher Education

The Rise of the Media of Mass Communication and Entertainment

The Increasing Number and Perhaps Influence of Experts and Intellectuals

Social Stratification and Mobility

Summary

Hours, Schedules, and the Organization of Work

Hours of Work Flexible Specialization? The Spread of Contingent Labor Is Modern Society "High-Tech"? Are the Rise in Unconventional Schedules and Unstable Careers American Peculiarities? Summary

The Welfare State

Is There Any Convergence in the Polity?

Decline in Collective Political Violence Democracy and Markets Economic Development and Democracy

A Postscript on Economic Development and Income Inequality

Conclusion

CHAPTER 2: Types of Political Economy

Democratic Corporatism

Measures

Corporatism-Without-Labor

Fragmented and Decentralized Political Economies

Democratic Corporatism and Policy Linkages

Erosion, Transformation, or Persistence of Corporatism?

Sweden and the Netherlands as Cases of Most Change

Structural and Ideological Sources of Democratic Corporatism

Leftism, Catholicism, and Democratic Corporatism Electoral Systems as a Cause of Corporatism The Timing and Nature of Industrialization as a Cause Does Trade Dependence Matter?

Why No Corporatism in Ireland?

Conclusion

CHAPTER 3: Mass Society, Participation, and the Mass Media

Participation in the U.S.: Amount, Trends, and Effects

Primary Relations Mediating Associations and Civic Engagement The Significance of Types of Association and Participation

Cross-National Evidence on Participation

The Rising Influence of the Media of Mass Communication and Entertainment

Empirical Limits Theoretical Limits News, Entertainment, and Politics

Explaining Media Content and Style

Big Business Domination Organizational and Occupational Contingencies Country-Specific Regulation, Control, and Financing Are the Media Becoming American? Will New Information Technology Change Media Content and Impact?

Summary and Conclusion

CHAPTER 4: Theories of the Post-Industrial Society

Occupational and Industrial Trends

Postindustrial Values?

Interlocking Cycles of Family, Work, and Social-Political Participation: A Comment on Age Cohort, Political Generation, and Life Cycle

Cohort Effects Life Cycle Squeeze and the Morale Curve Subjective and Objective Well-Being A Postscript on Political Generations

Conclusion: Let's Drop "Postindustrial Society" from Our Vocabulary

 

PART II: THE WELFARE STATE AND SOCIAL POLICY: CONVERGENCE OR DIVERGENCE?

CHAPTER 5: The Welfare State: Convergence and Divergence

Determinants of Welfare-State Development

Ideology, Political System, and the Welfare State: the Case of Pensions

A Crisis of the Welfare State?

Retrenchment of the Welfare State?

Continuity at the Core: the Cases of Britain and Germany

Leftism, Catholicism, and Democratic Corporatism: Explaining National Differences in Social Spending

Left Power and Spending Left Power and Taxes Catholic Power and Spending Catholic Power and Taxes Corporatism, Taxes, and Spending The Effects of Party-Continuity and Competition on Spending

Convergence Theory: Economic Level, Population Aging, Mobility-Meritocracy, and Minority-Group Cleavages

Measures for Testing Convergence Theory Results for Convergence Theory Results for the Combined Models

CHAPTER 6: Sector Spending and Program Emphasis

Spending Packages

Sources of Variation in Sector Spending Patterns

Personal Social Services vs. Cash Transfers?

The Big Tradeoff: Pensions and Family Allowances vs. Public Assistance, Higher Education, and the Military

CHAPTER 7: Types of Political Economy, Party Ideology, and Family Policy: Contrasting Government Responses to a Common Problem

Policies and Politics: Big Differences and Maybe a Little Convergence

Comparing Sweden and the United States: Policy Contrasts The Politics of Family Policy: More Sharp Contrasts Concepts and Measures of Family Policy: Patterns Among the 19 Countries Explaining Similarities and Differences in Family Policy

Methods and Findings

Catholicism, Leftism, Corporatism, and Working Women Demographic Pressures and Family Policy: Are the Young and Old at War? The Interaction of Types of Corporatism, Party Power, Women at Work, and the Aged: Consistent Patterns with a Belgian/French Exception

Family Allowance and Family Policy Index

Summary and Conclusion

CHAPTER 8: The American Welfare Mess in Comparative Perspective

American "Welfare" Programs

Myths and Facts about the American Welfare System

Does Workfare Work?

Research Findings on Workfare Barriers to Success: Policy Segmentation, Uncoordinated Programs, and Decentralized Federalism

Means Testing, Stigma, and Takeup Rates: A Few Comparisons

Non-Takeup Rates Reasons for High Non-Takeup Rates

Technical Problems, Error Rates, and the Welfare Mess

Explaining National Differences in Reliance on Means Tests

Types of Political Economy, Teenage Pregnancy, and Abortion

Summary and Conclusion

CHAPTER 9: Bureaucratic Efficiency and Bloat

Economies of Scale

Explaining Convergence and Divergence in the Size of Bureaucracies

Insights from the Cases of the United States, Canada, and Italy

 

PART III: SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER 10: Tax-Welfare Backlash: How to Tax, Spend, and Yet Keep Cool

Concepts and Measures of Backlash

Why Public Opinion Cannot Explain Backlash Successes

Nativism and Tax-Welfare Backlash Go Together

A Revolt of the Middle Mass?

Theory and Hypotheses: What Causes Backlash?

Tax Increases, Tax Strategies, Means-Testing, and Income Equality The British Poll Tax: A Lesson in the Dangers of An Obsession with Tax Visibility Big Spenders, Low Backlash Testing Theories of Democratic Corporatism Testing Convergence Theory

Summary and Interpretation

CHAPTER 11: Are Political Parties Declining?

The United States: Is It the Textbook Case of Dealignment?

Dimensions of American Party-System Vitality that Show No Decline or Increasing Strength Dimensions of System Decline that Fit the Theme of American Party Decline

Types of Political Economy and Party Decline: Cross-National Evidence

Measures of Party Decline and Tests of the Theory

Voter Turnout, Election Frequency, Direct Democracy, and Voter Fatigue

New Zealand 1984-93: A Cautionary Tale of Party Dealignment

Summary and Conclusion

CHAPTER 12: Types of Political Economy, Spending, Taxing, and Economic Performance

Introduction

The Welfare State and Economic Performance: Lessons from the Past

Social Spending and Economic Performance 1950-74

Corporatism and Economic Performance 1950-74

The Interaction of Types of Corporatism, Social Spending, and Economic Performance, 1950-74

Post-Shock Economic Performance 1974-79 and 1980-84

Social Spending and Economic Performance 1974-79 and 1980-84

The Interaction of Types of Corporatism, Spending, Energy Dependence, and Economic Performance 1974-79 and 1980-91

What Happened in the 1990s?

Japan vs. the United States: Trading Places?

Explaining National Differences in Economic Performance

Measures of Tradeoffs Typical of Democratic Corporatism

The Causes of Economic Performance: Findings from Multivariate Analysis

Wages, Capital Investment, Taxes, and Strikes Wage Restraint Strike Rates, Capital Investment, and Social Spending Taxes: Level and Type Other Forces: Do R&D and Education and Training Help? Do Military Spending, Young People, Bloated Bureaucracy and Many Lawyers Hurt? Is Inequality Harmful to Economic Growth? Summary External Shocks Count Only at Extremes Postscript: Are Property Taxes a Drag on Economic Performance?

CHAPTER 13: The Great American Job Machine in Comparative Perspective

Demographic Forces

Social Structural Forces

Multiple Regression Results and the Question of Causation

A Desirable Political Economy

 

CHAPTER 14: Risk and Safety: American Mayhem in Comparative Perspective

Trends in Violent Crime

Why Violent Crime in the United States, Especially Murder?

A Comparative Analysis of Mayhem

The Wilensky Mayhem Index Theory and Hypotheses: What Causes Mayhem? Trends in Mayhem 1970-1988 Industrialization and its Correlates Types of Political Economy: Explaining National Differences in Mayhem

Bringing the Two Theories Together: Industrialization vs. Types of Political Economy

CHAPTER 15: Types of Political Economy, Regulatory Regimes, and the Environment

Air Pollution

Occupational Health and Safety

Disability and Sickness As Slippery and Expansive Categories: Is There a Tendency Toward Excess?

Nuclear Energy Development and Safety

The Regulation of Tobacco Use

Summary

CHAPTER 16: Health Performance: Affluence, Political Economy, and Public Policy as Sources of Real Health

Affluence vs. Medical Care

The Organization and Delivery of Medical Care

Centralization, State Control, and Global Budgeting An Index of Real Health Doctor Density and Real Health Ratio of Specialists to Primary Care Physicians, Nurses, and Midwives Preventive Care and Health Performance The Private/Public Mix and the Myth of the Market The Medical-Industrial Complex of the United States Why Health-Care Reform in the United States Fails

Administrative Costs, Waste, and Corruption

Administrative Costs and Waste Commerce and Corruption

Affluence, Spending, Types of Political Economy, and Health Performance: An Empirical Test

Mass Society, Poverty, Inequality, Insecurity, and Health Performance

Summary and Conclusion

CHAPTER 17: Globalization: Does It Subvert Labor Standards, the Welfare State, and Job Security?

The Nation-State Is Alive And Well

Convergence Downward, Upward, Or Just Persistent Differences?

Deregulation of the Labor Market?

Convergence in Immigration, Differences in Policy and Politics

The Role of Multinational Corporations

The Globalization of Finance: Are Strong Central Banks a Drag?

Summary And Interpretation

CHAPTER 18: American Exceptionalism and Policy Implications

How Different is the United States?

Culture Structure

Policy and Politics

The Idea of Policy Paralysis The Myth of Moderation and the Rightward Shift The Social Composition of a Center-Left Coalition Policy Implications: A Center-Left Agenda A More Feasible Part of the Agenda How to Pay for It: Tax Balance and a Capital Budget Separate From Current Spending

Conclusion

APPENDICES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX