""A thoughtful assessment of socioeconomic needs and influences, observing the necessity for benefits as well as the lessons of experience offered by various nations""--Library Bookwatch Over the last two decades, aging populations, changing family structures, market forces of globalization, strains of immigration, and political and ideological realignments have joined to create powerful pressures that are reshaping the design and philosophy of social welfare policies. Changing Patterns of Social Protection analyzes emerging patterns of social welfare and the implications of these trends for the future of social protection to vulnerable groups in France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Examining central policy trends in these countries, contributors explore current reforms of mainline programs: old age pensions, disability and unemployment insurance, family assistance, health care, and social services. The findings highlight how modern dynamics of social protection are manifest through reforms that include diverse social and economic incentives, changing benefit structures, a wide range of work-oriented measures, the resurgence of private activity, and current approaches to targeting benefits. Assessments of the socioeconomic influences that have precipitated these reforms reveal a broad range of common factors as well as country-specific influences such as the clientelistic approach to welfare in Italy, the complexities of reunification in Germany, and the ""Dutch disease"" of explosive claims for disability benefits. Changing Patterns of Social Protection offers insights into the issues raised by these policy reforms and their possible effects. By clarifying alternative policy designs this work affords a fresh perspective on how to think about the changing structure and function of social welfare arrangements in modern society. Neil Gilbert is Chernin Professor of Social Services and Social Welfare at the Un

This book reflects on the public policies, programmes and regulatory frameworks that are taking a rights-based approach to expanding social protection coverage and benefits in Latin America, with a view to achieving universal coverage. Its discussion of the policy tools and programmes pursued in the region aims to provide the reader with technical and programmatic insights for assembling and coordinating public policies within consistent and sustainable social protection systems. The combination of normative orientations and stock of technical knowledge, together with advances regarding the rights-based approach to social protection within a life cycle framework, afford the reader not only a tool box of specific social protection instruments, but also an in-depth examination of related political economy aspects.

Evidence indicates that actions within four main themes (early child development fair employment and decent work social protection and the living environment) are likely to have the greatest impact on the social determinants of health and health inequities. A systematic search and analysis of recommendations and policy guidelines from intergovernmental organizations and international bodies identified practical policy options for action on social determinants within these four themes. Policy options focused on early childhood education and care; child poverty; investment strategies for an inclusive economy; active labour market programmes; working conditions; social cash transfers; affordable housing; and planning and regulatory mechanisms to improve air quality and mitigate climate change. Applying combinations of these policy options alongside effective governance for health equity should enable WHO European Region Member States to reduce health inequities and synergize efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This publication considers the range of financing options available for the design of cost-effective and equitable social welfare systems, giving a thorough analysis of their advantages and disadvantages and their financial and economic implications. Written by practitioners for practitioners, the book discusses the design and maintenance of national social protection systems that seek to ensure effective and efficient use of available resources at the community, national and international levels while supporting long-term economic development. The book explores theoretical and practical policy questions, as well as looking at the policy process that determines the affordable levels of and scope of social protection in a given country.

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

This exciting and innovative Handbook provides readers with a comprehensive and globally relevant overview of the instruments, actors and design features of social protection systems, as well as their application and impacts in practice. It is the first book that centres around system building globally, a theme that has gained political importance yet has received relatively little attention in academia.