The welfare we want?: The British challenge for American reform

Description

In the UK, both Conservative and Labour welfare strategies have been influenced by American policies. British welfare reform has continued in recent years, while American policies appear to have stagnated. What now are the lessons of British reform for America? "The welfare we want?" presents a detailed comparison of welfare policies in the two countries. A team of international experts outlines, compares and contrasts the reform strategies pursued in each country and summarises the results to date. The editors argue that recent American reforms have failed to address key problems but that British ideas could refresh the American policy agenda. Moreover, both systems would gain from increased transatlantic policy dialogue. "The welfare we want?" is an important addition to comparative literature in the field. It addresses a wide audience of policy makers, political analysts, social welfare experts, and concerned citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. Accessibility is enhanced by use of common categories for explaining how various programmes work, and for whom. Discussion of policy is at once historically detailed and up-to-date.

Robert Walker is Professor of Social Policy in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham and Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, UK. He is a consultant on welfare and evaluation for various British government agencies. Michael Wiseman is Research Professor of Public Policy and Economics at George Washington University and an Affiliated Scholar with the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin. He is a resident consultant on program evaluation for the Administration for Children and Families in the US Department of Health and Human Services.

"This is an important book. Alongside Wisconsin; W-2, Britain's New Deal is the most impressive redesign of welfare to appear. The authors apply the British version and experience to the American welfare debate, which has been too self-contained. They are thorough experts and they write well, opening a vista toward the better and bolder welfare state that might be ours on the other side of entitlement." Larry Mead, Professor of Politics, New York University "An excellent volume ... researchers and policy makers on both sides of the Atlantic should read it and ponder the issues raised." Ron Haskins, Brookings Institution, Washington DC, USA "This excellent book contains a collection of engaging, carefully researched and well-written essays organised around an original and significant theme: that the United States has not only influenced British welfare reform but can, in turn, draw lessons from the UK experience. It makes an invaluable contribution to ongoing debates about welfare." Mark Wickham-Jones, Department of Politics, University of Bristol