Social Capitalism: A Study of Christian Democracy and the Welfare StateChristian democracy has been the most successful political movement in post-war Western Europe yet its crucial impact on the development of the modern European welfare state has been critically neglected. In this study Kees van Kersbergen demonstrates the precise nature of the links between Christian democracy and the welfare state. Using a variety of sources the author describes the origin and development of the Christian democratic movement and presents comparative accounts of the varying degrees of political entrenchment of national christian democratic parties. Drawing upon cross-national indicators of welfare state development he identifies and explains the existence of a distinctively Christian democratic (as opposed to a liberal or social democratic) welfare state regime which he labels `social capitalism'. This book compares the different national contexts under which christian democratic social theory has been turned into political action. Kees van Keersbergen shows how the different social policy performances of crucial cases, (Germany, Italy and the Netherlands) have been affected not just by prevalent power structures but also by the coalitional strategies and political abilities of christian democratic parties. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 The welfare state and Christian democracy | 6 |
3 The political entrenchment of Christian democracy in Western Europe 18701960 | 31 |
4 Christian democracy in Germany Italy and the Netherlands | 63 |
5 Welfare state regimes and social spending | 98 |
6 The quality of welfare state regimes | 126 |
7 The structure of welfare state regimes | 149 |
8 Social capitalism and Christian democracy | 175 |
9 Catholicism and social citizenship | 193 |
10 The intellectual origins of Christian democracy and social capitalism | 206 |
11 Conclusion | 230 |
Appendix | 249 |
Notes | 257 |
263 | |
286 | |
Other editions - View all
Social Capitalism: A Study of Christian Democracy and the Welfare State Kees van Kersbergen No preview available - 1995 |
Social Capitalism: A Study of Christian Democracy and the Welfare State Kees Van Kersbergen No preview available - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
analysis argued Arithmetic Mean attempt Austria average benefits capitalist Catholic party Catholic politics Catholic social CDU/CSU cent characterised charity Christian democracy Christian democratic movements Christian democratic nations Christian democratic parties Christian democratic welfare Church coalition communist concept confessional conservative decommodification disposable income distinctive dominant Dutch effect electoral Esping-Andersen extent favour function Germany groups historical ideology institutions integration Italian Italy Jarque-Bera test labour market liberal Netherlands Number of values organisations pension pillarisation political Catholicism political movement politics of mediation position post-war power mobilisation private property programme PvdA Quadragesimo Anno reform religion religious replacement rates Rerum Novarum result role secularisation social and political social capitalism social Catholicism social democratic social democratic model social market economy social policy social rights social security schemes social spending socialist society Standard Dev structure subsidiarity theory traditional unions variable Vatican vote wage welfare state development welfare state regimes workers