Western governments spend 30-55% of their GDP on the welfare state. This led Esping-Andersen (1990) to label them as ‘welfare-capitalist’ regimes. The regimes have differing policy priorities. Social democratic regimes prioritise equality, liberal regimes prioritise economic growth and rising living standards, while corporatist and Southern European proto-corporatist regimes prioritise financial security and social stability. Some social scientists believe that in recent decades these regimes have been converging towards pursuing liberal priorities. One of the main aims of the book is to assess this claim. We assess regime priorities and performance both in ‘good times’ and times of crisis; during the Global Financial Crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic.
