In many countries regional and local authorities are given more powers in the field of social security. Supposedly, this is a general trend taking place throughout the developed world and beyond. In this volume the processes of devolution and decentralisation in social security are researched from a comparative European perspective, taking into account the constitutional setting and the architecture of the social security systems. The book includes thirteen country studies based on a uniform format and three overarching contributions. The greater picture that emerges is that social insurance and family allowances are still very much a national competence and are predominantly functionally decentralised to a number of specialised agencies and institutions. There are only limited exceptions. A different conclusion must be drawn when we look at social assistance and social care. In many countries the role of local authorities has gradually increased over a longer period. However, in some countries this trend is reversing, and municipal powers are being limited or even taken back by central government. Devolution and Decentralisationin Social Security shows how complex, differentiated and nationally diverse the state of devolution and decentralisation in Europe actually is. This book is of particular interest to scholars in the field of social policy and social security, constitutionalists and policy makers who are interested in local administration.

This book presents a socio-legal examination of national and devolved-level developments in social protection in the UK, through the eyes of politicians and officials at the heart of this process. Since its inception in 1998, devolution has altered the character of the UK welfare state, with dramatic change in the 10 years since 2010. A decade of austerity at national level has exposed diverging view in how governments in London, Edinburgh and Belfast view the social rights of citizenship. This political divide has implications for both social security law, as the devolved countries begin to flex their muscles in this key area for citizens' economic welfare, and the constitutional settlement. The book reflects on the impact of austerity, the referendum on Scottish independence and subsequent changes to the devolution settlement, Northern Ireland's hesitant moves away from parity with Westminster in social protection, withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit), and the possible retreat from austerity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The social union may or may not be weakening; its character is unquestionably changing, and the book lays bare the ideological and pragmatic considerations driving legal developments. TH Marshall's theory of citizenship provides the lens through which these processes are viewed, while itself being reinterpreted in light of the national government's increasing delegation of responsibility for social rights – whether to individuals, the voluntary sector or lower tiers of government.

Beyond devolution and decentralisation compares the politics, policies and polity-building dynamics of devolution in Wales and decentralisation in the French region of Brittany. Empirically, the book draws conclusions from in-depth fieldwork within two regions and reports the findings of a comparative public opinion survey. Theoretically, it contributes towards our understanding of the comparative study of regions. Perhaps most impressive is how the case studies generally are based on, but also cast light back, to the nuanced theoretical framework on regional capacity established at the outset. The book uncovers the dynamics of devolution in Wales and decentralisation in Brittany through extensive face to face interviews: over 200 interviews were carried out from 2001 to 2004, a formative stage in the development of the devolved institutions in Wales and a period of expectation in Brittany as well. The book will be of interest to the professional research community and to practitioners in Britain, France and beyond, as well as to students on comparative politics, British/Welsh politics, French politics, European studies and public policy courses.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this book describes the social security regime in the Netherlands. It conveys a clear working knowledge of the legal mechanics affecting health care, employment injuries and occupational diseases, incapacity to work, pensions, survivors’ benefits, unemployment benefits and services, and family benefits. The analysis covers the field of application, conditions for entitlement, calculation of benefits, financing, the institutional framework, and relevant law enforcement and controls. Allowances for retirees, employees, public sector workers, the self-employed, and the handicapped are all clearly explained, along with full details of claims, adjudication procedures, and appeals. Succinct yet eminently practical, the book will be a valuable resource for lawyers handling social security matters in the Netherlands. It will be of practical utility to those both in public service and private practice called on to develop and to apply social security law and policy, and of special interest as a contribution to the comparative study of social security systems.

A Brookings Institution Press and Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation publication The trend toward greater decentralization of governance activities, now accepted as commonplace in the West, has become a worldwide movement. This international development—largely a product of globalization and democratization—is clearly one of the key factors reshaping economic, political, and social conditions throughout the world. Rather than the top-down, centralized decisionmaking that characterized communist economies and Third World dictatorships in the twentieth century, today's world demands flexibility, adaptability, and the autonomy to bring those qualities to bear. In this thought-provoking book, the first in a new series on Innovations in Governance, experts in government and public management trace the evolution and performance of decentralization concepts, from the transfer of authority within government to the sharing of power, authority, and responsibilities among broader governance institutions. This movement is not limited to national government—it also affects subnational governments, NGOs, private corporations, and even civil associations. The contributors assess the emerging concepts of decentralization (e.g., devolution, empowerment, capacity building, and democratic governance). They detail the factors driving the movement, including political changes such as the fall of the Iron Curtain and the ascendance of democracy; economic factors such as globalization and outsourcing; and technological advances (e.g. increased information technology and electronic commerce). Their analysis covers many different contexts and regions. For example, William Ascher of Claremont McKenna College chronicles how decentralization concepts are playing out in natural resources policy, while Kadmeil Wekwete (United Nations) outlines the specific challenges to decentralizing governance in sub-Saharan Africa. In each case, contributors explore the objectives of a decentralizing strategy as well as the benefits and difficulties that will likely result.

This book draws on experiences in developing countries to bridge the gap between the conventional textbook treatment of fiscal decentralization and the actual practice of subnational government finance. The extensive literature about the theory and practice is surveyed and longstanding problems and new questions are addressed. It focuses on the key choices that must be made in decentralizing, on how economic and political factors shape the choices that countries make, and on how, by paying more attention to the need for a more comprehensive approach and the critical connections between different components of decentralization reform, everyone involved might get more for their money.

The collective volume “Modern Forms of Work. A European Comparative Study” evokes the intent to embody a reflection focused on modern labour law issues from a comparative perspective. A first set of essays contains national reports on modern forms of work. The second group contains some reflections regarding critical issues on digitalization, platforms and algorithms, analysing the different facets of the galaxy of digital work. The third group of essays flows into the section entitled “new balances and workers’ rights in the digital era”, a crucial topic in the debate. The complex of the writings, despite the diversity of approaches and methods, reveals the existence of a dense and inexhaustible dialogue between young scholars, at European and extra-European level. The analysis of new forms of work – the offspring of transnational processes of globalization and technologization – forms a fertile ground for experimenting a transnational dialogue on which young researchers can practice with excellent results, as this small volume confirms.