Political Economy and Welfare State Politics

About

This Standing Group invites researchers interested in all issues related to political economy and the welfare state. We are interested in scholarly discussions about major areas such as labour market policies, social policies, issues of taxation and related fields. Building on this, the group aims to cover a broad range of theoretical, empirical and methodological issues in the analysis of the politics of welfare states. This can be the development of theoretical frameworks to explain the politics of the welfare state, the impact of globalisation, financialisation and migration, the role of interest group, electoral or international politics on welfare states, or innovation in the methodological tools to analyse and understand welfare state change. Levels of analysis can range from individual preferences for social protection to comparative analyses of national systems or developments at the EU or global level. Given the importance and diversity of welfare state research within political science, the section aims to be open to a wide variety of perspectives (including quantitative and qualitative research) while keeping a focus on the political aspects of the welfare state.

Aims & Objectives

• Facilitate scholarly exchange on welfare state related issues (broadly defined)

• Contribute to theoretical and methodological innovation

• Collaborate with similar working groups of other professional organizations

Activities

To be confirmed, but at least one section proposal each annual conference as well as further initiatives.