OECD & European Welfare States

'. . . thanks to Klaus Armingeon and Michelle Beyeler the discussion on the role of the OECD in welfare policy has at last found a sound empirical basis. This is a very welcome contribution to a debate that is too often characterised by big claims and little evidence. . . this volume is highly recommended to all people interested in understanding the development and reform of the welfare state.'- Fabrizio Gilardi, Swiss Political Science ReviewThe OECD includes the richest nations in the world. It issues recommendations on economic and social policies. Is its counsel on welfare state policies coherent? And is it followed by member states in Western Europe? These are the guiding questions of this book, which is a first to deal with such issues.The OECD and European Welfare States comprises 14 country studies considering OECD recommendations and their implementation in Western European welfare states, an analysis of the internal processes in the OECD, a theoretical introduction and a concluding comparative chapter. The overall results show a large degree of consistency in OECD analyses and recommendations, though little efficacy is revealed. The authors of this book have compiled a major contribution to the analysis of the impact of international organisations on national welfare states, widening the scope of traditional analyses of national welfare state development.This edited book will be of special interest to those researchers and graduate students in the fields of international business, welfare state policy and comparative politics. It will also appeal to policy makers concerned with the OECD or welfare state development.