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Improving the Performance of the European Social Model - The Welfare State over the Life Cycle

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Author Info
Lindbeck, Assar () (Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University)

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Abstract

The achievements of social-welfare arrangements in Western Europe are well known: considerable income security, relatively little poverty and, in some countries, ample supply of social services. But there are also well-known weaknesses and hence considerable scope for improvement. Three types of weaknesses are considered in this paper: social-welfare arrangements are often not financially robust to shocks; individuals make undesirable behavioural adjustments in response to welfare-state arrangements and their financing; and social-welfare arrangements are often poorly adapted to recent changes in socio-economic conditions and preferences of individuals. I discuss these weaknesses, and alternative methods to mitigate them, in the context of various types of welfare-state arrangements that the individual may encounter over the life cycle.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Stockholm University, Institute for International Economic Studies in its series Seminar Papers with number 717.

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Length: 33 pages
Date of creation: 06 Feb 2003
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:hhs:iiessp:0717

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Postal: Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Web page: http://www.iies.su.se/
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Related research
Keywords: social policies welfare state labour market family structure preferences

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
H00 - Public Economics - - General - - - General
H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
H50 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - General

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  1. Ichino, Andrea & Riphahn, Regina, 2003. "The Effect of Employment Protection on Worker Effort: A Comparison of Absenteeism During and After Probation," CEPR Discussion Papers 3847, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Lindbeck, Assar & Snower, Dennis J, 2000. "Multitask Learning and the Reorganization of Work: From Tayloristic to Holistic Organization," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(3), pages 353-76, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Skogman Thoursie, Peter, 2002. "Reporting Sick: Are Sporting Events Contagious?," Research Papers in Economics 2002:4, Stockholm University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Johansson, Per & Palme, Mårten, 2001. "Assessing the effect of public policy on worker absenteeism," Working Paper Series 2002:13, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
  5. Jan Erik Askildsen & Espen Bratberg & Øivind Anti Nilsen, 2005. "Unemployment, labor force composition and sickness absence: a panel data study," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(11), pages 1087-1101. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Olivier Blanchard & Justin Wolfers, 1999. "The Role of Shocks and Institutions in the Rise of European Unemployment: The Aggregate Evidence," NBER Working Papers 7282, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Lindbeck, Assar, 1995. "Hazardous Welfare-State Dynamics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(2), pages 9-15, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Assar Lindbeck & Sten Nyberg & Jšrgen W. Weibull, 1999. "Social Norms And Economic Incentives In The Welfare State," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 114(1), pages 1-35, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. Assar Lindbeck & Mats Persson, 2003. "The Gains from Pension Reform," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 41(1), pages 74-112, March.
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  10. Calmfors, Lars & Forslund, Anders & Hemström, Maria, 2002. "Does active labour market policy work? Lessons from the Swedish experiences," Working Paper Series 2002:4, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
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  11. Lindbeck, Assar & Wikstroem, Solveig, 2002. "E-exchange and the Boundary between Households and Organizations," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
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  12. Arai, Mahmood & Thoursie, Peter Skogman, 2005. "Incentives and selection in cyclical absenteeism," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 269-280, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Sinn, Hans-Werner, 2000. "The Threat to the German Welfare State," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo GmbH. [Downloadable!]
  14. Assar Lindbeck, 1996. "The West European employment problem," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer, vol. 127(4), pages 609-637, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Alesina, Alberto & Rodrik, Dani, 1994. "Distributive Politics and Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 109(2), pages 465-90, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. John McHale, 1999. "The Risk of Social Security Benefit Rule Changes: Some International Evidence," NBER Working Papers 7031, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Lindbeck, A, 1996. "The West European Employment Problem," Papers 616, Stockholm - International Economic Studies.
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  18. Martin, John P. & Grubb, David, 2001. "What works and for whom: a review of OECD countries' experiences with active labour market policies," Working Paper Series 2001:14, IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. [Downloadable!]
  19. Sherwin Rosen, 1996. "Public Employment and the Welfare State in Sweden," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 34(2), pages 729-740, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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