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This article investigates the politics of reforming mature, pay-as-you-go pensions in the context of austerity. In both
Sweden and Germany the Social Democratic party leadership advocated reform in response to similar financial and
demographic pressures, but the Swedish reform was more successful in correcting perceived program weaknesses and in defending social democratic values. To explain this difference in outcomes, we focus on policy legacies and the organizational and political capacities of labor movements. We argue that existing pension policies in Germany were more constraining than in Sweden, narrowing the range of politically feasible strategies. By contrast, in Sweden, existing pension policy provided opportunities for turning vices into virtues and financing the transition to a new system. In addition, the narrow interests of German unions and the absence of institutionalized cooperation with the Social Democratic Party hindered reform. By contrast, the Swedish Social Democrats' bargaining position in pension reform negotiations with non-socialist parties was formulated with blue collar union interests in mind. The encompassing interests of Swedish unions and their close links with the Social Democrats facilitated a reform compromise.

Intro -- Reviewers -- Contents -- Tables, Figures, and Boxes -- Preface -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Disparities in Children's Health: Major Challenges and Opportunities -- 3 Investing in Children's Health -- 4 From Policy to Practice: How Policy Changes Can Affect Children's Lives -- 5 Community Development Approaches: Overcoming Challenges, Striving for Change -- 6 Do Businesses Have a Role Improving Communities or Improving Children's Lives? -- 7 Closing Comments -- Appendix A: Workshop Agenda -- Appendix B: Biosketches of Presenters and Authors -- Appendix C: Resources -- Appendix D: Special Presentation: Unnatural Causes -- Appendix E: Clinical Health Care Practice and Community Building: Addressing Racial Disparities in Healthy Child Development.

This article explores the selective affinities between the study of West European politics and historical institutionalism. We divide the last 30 years into four phases: the foundational ideas of the late 1970s and early 1980s; the evolution of these ideas from structuralism to institutionalism in the late 1980s and early 1990s; more radical revision under the turbulent 1990s and early 2000s; and the future outlook at the end of the first decade of the 2000s. We emphasise the ways in which the field of West European politics has shaped the direction of historical institutionalism as a distinctive approach to the study of politics, particularly historical institutionalism's focus on explaining actors' interests and behaviour. We also discuss recent debates within historical institutionalism concerning the role of history and path dependence, ideas, and institutional origins and change in the context of developments within West European politics. We conclude by discussing several challenges for both historical institutionalism and the study of West European politics: maintaining and improving analytical rigour as politics in Western Europe become even more fluid; continuing to build middle range theory; and extending our comparative analysis of Western Europe to include regions outside of Western Europe. Adapted from the source document.

Objective. We investigate the causes of the stability of Swedish business confidence in the early 1930s. Surprisingly, investors seemed unruffled by the Social Democrats' heterodox "Crisis Program," a proto-Keynesian response to the Great Depression. This research allows a productive modification of the argument that the state is dependent on private capital formation. Methods. Analysis of stock markets, currency prices, patterns of domestic investment, as well as written primary sources in Swedish & English. Results. The cross-class cooperation practiced by the Social Democrats, & the lack of a threat of radicalization, had an important calming effect on investors. Conclusions. To avoid capital flight & resulting economic dislocation, reformist governments must cooperate with business & conservatives & turn away from workers & revolutionaries. 1 Table, 3 Figures, 51 References. Adapted from the source document.

"This paper analyzes the restructuring of private, occupational pensions in the Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland. Despite the institutional similarities of all three systems (extensive pre-funding, collectively organized pensions, near-universal coverage), the three systems differ in important ways in terms of governance. The paper investigates the ways in which these variable governance structures shaped responses to the stock market downturn in 2001-2002. The Dutch occupational pension system experienced substantial retrenchment (shift from career earnings to average earnings formulae in defined benefit (DB) schemes as well as increased contributions) whereas the Danish and Swiss schemes sustained fewer cutbacks. The paper argues that the DB structure of Dutch pensions as well as the specifics of the regulatory framework forced a drastic adaptation to changes in financial markets, whereas the flexible defined contribution (DC) framework in Denmark and Switzerland facilitated a more modest adaptation to the market downturn." (author's abstract)

Health Politics in Europe: A Handbook is a work of reference that provides historical background and up-to-date information and analysis on health politics and health systems throughout Europe.