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Political Science Public Affairs & Administration

Beyond the Welfare State

Postwar Social Settlement and Public Pension Policy in Canada and Australia

by (author) Sirvan Karimi

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Feb 2017
Category
Public Affairs & Administration, Comparative Politics, General, General, Social Services & Welfare
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781487500412
    Publish Date
    Feb 2017
    List Price
    $89.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487510961
    Publish Date
    Jan 2017
    List Price
    $77.00

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Description

Neoliberal calls for welfare state reforms, especially cuts to public pensions, are a contentious issue for employees, employers, and national governments across the western world. But what are the underlying factors that have shaped the response to these pressures in Canada and Australia?

 

In Beyond the Welfare State, Sirvan Karimi utilizes a synthesis of Marxian class analysis and the power resources model to provide an analytical foundation for the divergent pattern of public pension systems in Canada and Australia. Karimi reveals that the postwar social contract in Australia was market-based and more conducive to the privatization of retirement income. In Canada, the social contract emphasized income redistribution that resulted in strengthening the link between the state and the citizen.

 

By shedding light on the impact of national settings on public pension systems, Beyond the Welfare State introduces new conceptual tools to aid our understanding of the welfare state at a time when it is increasingly under threat.

About the author

 

Sirvan Karimi is an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at York University.

 

Sirvan Karimi's profile page

Editorial Reviews

‘This is a well-written and researched book with a wealth of detail and excellent notes, bibliography and index.’

Journal of Pension Economics and Finance vol 16:04:2017