The New Worlds of Welfare Capitalism: Economic Reform, Redistribution, and Social Policy

3 credits

Under what conditions do states decide to redistribute and fund a welfare state? This course builds on scholarship in institutional economics and political economy to consider the evolution of welfare states in both industrialized economies and emerging economies in the global south. It will not only consider the impact of economic reforms such as market and trade liberalization on welfare regimes, but also look at the evolution of the structure of taxation and its impact on social policies. The course will discuss some of the challenges faced by emerging economies in the implementation of welfare policies in the absence of large-scale redistribution.