The Crisis Imperative: Crisis Rhetoric and Welfare State Reform in Belgium and the Netherlands in the Early 1990s Contributor(s): Kuipers, Sanneke (Author) |
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ISBN: 9053568085 ISBN-13: 9789053568088 Publisher: Amsterdam University Press OUR PRICE: $60.34 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 2005 Annotation: Belgium and the Netherlands were perfect examples of the " welfare without work" policy that characterized European welfare states -- until a political crisis in both countries during the early 1990s produced a surprising divergence in administration. While Belgium' s government announced major reforms, its social security policy remained relatively resilient. In the Netherlands, however, policymakers implemented unprecedented cutbacks as well as a major overhaul of the disability benefits program. "The Crisis Imperative" explains this difference as the result of crisis rhetoric-- that is, the deliberate construction of a crisis as the imperative for change. It will be a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in welfare reform in the United States and abroad. |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Social Work - Political Science | Public Policy - General |
Dewey: 320 |
Series: Changing Welfare States |
Physical Information: 0.6" H x 6.72" W x 9.4" (1.00 lbs) 232 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The Netherlands and Belgium exemplified the pathology of 'welfare without work' that characterized continental welfare states -- until a political crisis in both countries produced a surprising divergence in scope and extent of policy change in the early 1990s. In Belgium, government announced major reforms but its social security arrangements proved remarkably resilient. In the Netherlands, policy makers announced and implemented unprecedented cutbacks and a major overhaul of the disability benefit administration and supervision. This book argues that reform is the product of the deliberate construction of a crisis as an imperative for change. It explains how crisis rhetoric resulted in drastic policy change in the Netherlands and in incremental change in Belgium. |