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Why and how do political actors pursue risky welfare state reforms, in spite of the institutional mechanisms and political resistance that counteract change? This is one of the key puzzles of contemporary welfare state research, which is brought about by the absence of a complete account that identifies both the cause and causal mechanisms of risky reforms. In this article we offer a remedy for this lacuna. Prospect theory teaches us that political actors will only undertake risky reforms if they consider themselves to be in a losses domain, that is when their current situation is unacceptable. Next, we discuss the strategies that political actors use to avoid the blame associated with risky reforms. These provide the causal mechanisms linking cause and effect. The sudden outburst of risky reforms in formerly 'immovable' Italy provides an empirical illustration of our account.

Why and how do political actors pursue risky welfare state reforms, in spite of the institutional mechanisms and political resistance that counteract change? This is one of the key puzzles of contemporary welfare state research, which is brought about by the absence of a complete account that identifies both the cause and causal mechanisms of risky reforms. In this article we offer a remedy for this lacuna. Prospect theory teaches us that political actors will only undertake risky reforms if they consider themselves to be in a losses domain, that is when their current situation is unacceptable. Next, we discuss the strategies that political actors use to avoid the blame associated with risky reforms. These provide the causal mechanisms linking cause and effect. The sudden outburst of risky reforms in formerly 'immovable' Italy provides an empirical illustration of our account. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., copyright 2007.]

Subsidiarity has been introduced at the 1991 Maastricht conference as a principle of European governance. This article traces its development over the past 15 years & attempts to assess the effect of the subsidiarity principle on European governance. The impact of subsidiarity varies across time & across issue area. This is related to the fact that the European Union is at the same time characterized by interstate relations & relations typical of a 'regular' political system. This specific nature of the European polity requires us to analyze policy making in terms of different policy arenas, which are sometimes interstate in nature & sometimes more 'regular'. This concept of European policy making differs from the approaches currently dominating the field: intergovernmentalism & multilevel governance. Although the effect of subsidiarity varies with the different natures of European policy arenas, the principle has tended to strengthen the position of the national governments of the Member States. This tendency has been continued in the operation of the Open Method of Coordination & the proposals regarding subsidiarity in the European Convention. 33 References. Adapted from the source document.

The resiliency of the contemporary welfare states is investigated. An overview of comparative approaches to studying the welfare state is provided, emphasizing such thoughts as the association of the welfare state with a social democratic government system. G. Esping-Andersen's (1990, 1999) theory of the welfare state is subsequently used to determine whether the welfare state is truly resistant & durable over time. In addition, Pierson's (1994) contention that the welfare state has proved relatively stable despite pressures for retrenchment is also discussed. After considering how social security systems diversified in contemporary democracies, the systemic differences between multiple Western welfare states are highlighted. It is subsequently asserted that welfare systems in these countries must address the financial burdens created by an aging population & growing unemployment rates. Future recommendations for comparative studies of the welfare state are offered. 2 Tables. J. W. Parker

AbstractThe Nordic countries pursue permissive policies with regard to morality issues. There is, however, one exception: the Faroe Islands. This country pursues remarkably conservative policies. Drawing on morality issue theory, secularization theory, and the supply side theory of religion, we develop a framework that explains the political dynamics around morality issues and policies in this country. We contribute to the understanding of the various ways in which religion can enter politics by showing how and why a minimal politicization of morality issues can coincide with a strong religious wording of such issues in a context where a high level of religiosity stands out. Religious vitality came about because religion became attached to the nationalist and language struggle, which encouraged religious activity. The ample supply of religion accounts for religious vitality, which, in turn, explains why religion continues to play in morality politics.

Despite its centrality in European politics, Christian democracy came to be the object of systematic research only recently. We review the research that has emerged since the mid-1990s and pinpoint its contributions in specifying the origins, evolution, and broader impact of Christian democratic parties. We begin with a discussion of the origins of Christian democracy and show that it is a distinctive political movement; we review the state of contemporary Christian democratic politics, describe the impact of Christian democracy on the process of European integration, evaluate the content of the Christian democratic welfare regime, and explore whether the European Christian democratic experience travels outside Europe and Christianity, especially in the world of political Islam. We conclude with an overview of the future outlook of this political movement.