Pension Reform in Europe Politics, Policies and Outcomes [Hardcover]

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.

Pension reform has been a top policy priority for European governments in the last decade. Ageing populations, changing labour market patterns and the process of European integration are the irresistible forces pushing for reform throughout the region.

The Political Economy of Pension Reformevaluates the political forces that make pension reform viable in different national and institutional contexts and the nature of political bargains, actors and cleavages surrounding policy change. The volume also examines the nature and outcomes of pension reform experiences in Europe, searching for a solution to the financial challenge posed by growing pension budgets. By addressing the nature of change, the pathways of reform, and the outcomes of the new pension mix in the region, the authors conclude with an analysis of peoples perceptions and attitudes towards pension policy and their acceptance or otherwise of different reform options.

This book will be of interest to students and scholars of international political economy, European politics, and social policy.

1. Introduction: The Political Economy pf Pension ReformCamila Arza and Martin Kohli  Part I. The Politics of Pension Reform  2. The 'New Politics' of Pension Reforms in Continental Europe David Natali and Martin Rhodes  3. Between Conflict and Consensus: The Reform of Bismarckian Pension RegimesMartin Schludi  4. How do Politicians get Away with Path-Breaking Pension Reforms? The Political Psychology of Pension Reform In DemocraciesEinar Overbye  5. The Politics and Outcomes of Three-Pillar Pel£j