Pension Reform in Europe: Politics, Policies and Outcomes

ARZA, CAMILA; KOHLI, MARTIN

Routledge

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2008 p. 224

0415407222

Pension reform is now top policy priority for European governments. Many countries have significantly modified their pension arrangements, and many more are considering new changes for the years to come. This new book provides a cross-country comparative analysis of the key issues shaping the latest pension reforms in Europe: political games, welfare models and pathways, population reactions, and observed and expected outcomes. The first part of the book evaluates the political conditions and practices that against high odds have made reform viable in different national and institutional contexts, including the nature of political bargains, actors and ideas. It shows that institutional constraints and path dependence are less effective than previously assumed. The second part looks at the process and outcomes of pension reform. In the search for a solution to the financial challenge posed by growing pension budgets, the scope for public intervention in old-age income protection has shifted. The book addresses the models of the new public-private pension mix in Europe, including key issues such as the distributional and gender impacts of reform, and evaluates the performance of private pension provision of the Anglo-Saxon type. It also engages in the generational conflict debate and analyses the evidence on age cleavages in people's attitudes towards pension reform.