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Examines changes in the social security provision in a range of European countries, with special emphasis on the Bismarckian welfare states such as the Netherlands and Belgium.

Advanced welfare states are said to be facing, in the words of Pierre Rosanvallon, a "New Social Question". The idea here, and it is a widely shared one, is that the transition from an industrial to a postindustrial environment has brought with it a whole new set of social risks, constraints and trade-offs which necessitate radical recalibration of social security systems. This book analyses in some depth how economic change has impacted on minimum income protection in advanced welfare states. There is a particular focus on how Bismarckian welfare states have fared over recent decades.

The current economic crisis has presented itself as a formidable challenge to the welfare states of Europe. The issue of minimum income protection has now become more important than ever and whether or note these schemes adequately protect citizens when they are unemployed, retired or having children. Drawing on in-depth and up-to-date institutional data from across Europe and the US, this volume details the reality of minimum income protection policies over time. Including contributions from leading scholars in the field, each chapter provides a systematic cross-national analysis of minimum income protection policies, developing concrete policy guidance on an issue at the heart of the European debate.