Suchergebnisse

AbstractWelfare reforms introduced at national level and implying changes in service provision are often managed by local authorities, and this fact paves the way for strong local‐central tensions. One of the sources of such tensions is the spread of local discretion in the implementation of central programs. In current literature, local discretion has been considered as a way not only to preserve local autonomy but also to capture central resources or to shift cost burdens upwards. This opportunistic behaviour is especially spread in countries characterized by weak vertical coordination in their multi‐level governance system. This paper investigates the dynamics of local discretion as a specific phenomenon relating to central‐local tensions by observing the implementation of an innovative national long‐term care program (Home Care Premium), in a national context (Italy) characterized by a high degree of institutional fragmentation. The findings show that, in spite of the programme's centralistic orientation and generous funding, specific discretionary practices have been extensively adopted by local authorities to develop strategies aimed at shifting the costs of local service provision towards central funding. Using a specific measure of local discretion, we examine first the territorial distribution of discretion over the country. Then, a regression model is developed to explain to what extent local discretion is explained by demand‐side, supply‐side or policy legacy factors. Results show the relevance of territorial socio‐economic inequalities in explaining local discretion and related cost‐shifting behaviours by local authorities located in poorest, highly deprived areas.

This article provides a detailed and robust estimate of the impact of three different digital technologies (interactive whiteboards, wireless connections, and mobile devices) on Italian language and mathematics performance in lower secondary schools in Italy. Our analysis of longitudinal data from 2010 to 2014 shows that no significant effects emerge at a national level from increased stocks of any of the three technologies, confirming the existing literature. However, when controlling for geographical area, we show that all three technologies had a positive effect on mathematics results in the north of Italy, with a detrimental effect in the south. We find that the positive effect in the north was driven by low‐attaining schools, while the negative impact in the south was driven by higher attaining schools. No effects were found on Italian language performance, except for a slightly positive impact in the lowest‐achieving schools in all geographical areas. The significance of these results is discussed with regards to future public intervention and research in this field.

Experts review leading social policy scholarship from across the globe in this new volume in the Social Policy Review series. Published in association with the Social Policy Association, this book will be essential reading for students and academics in social policy, social welfare and related disciplines.

Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Experts from across the globe review leading social policy scholarship in this new volume in the Social Policy Review series. Specialists explore local and multi-level trends in social policy including government responses to the cost-of-living crisis in the UK and decentralisation in primary health care in Thailand. They also review policy responses to working age risks in England, Italy and Australia, as well as policy developments and transformations such as social protection in Japan and Australia and immigration resettlement schemes in the UK. Published in association with the Social Policy Association, the latest book in this respected series will be essential reading for students and academics in social policy, social welfare and related disciplines.

Economic instability, social changes, and new social policies place economic insecurity high on the scholarly and political agenda. We contribute to these debates by proposing a new multidimensional, intertemporal measure of economic insecurity that accounts for both its multiplicity and its dynamism. First, we develop three theory-driven, multidimensional measures of economic insecurity. Principal Components Analysis validates the measure. Second, we develop a dynamic approach to insecurity, using longitudinal data and a newly revised headcount method. Third, we then use our new measures to analyze the distribution of insecurity in Europe. Our analysis shows that insecurity is widespread across Europe, even in low-inequality, encompassing welfare states. Moreover, it extends across income groups and occupational classes, reaching into the middle classes.

AbstractThis paper investigates the potential trade‐offs between extension of coverage and adequate generosity in cash‐for‐care (CfC) programmes in six European countries (Austria, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Spain), which are characterised by different configurations of CfC programmes. Building on an empirical analysis of the eligibility rules, of the regulation applied to classify beneficiaries according to their level of dependency, and the ways CfC benefits are distributed among them, it becomes clear that these programmes differ substantially in terms of coverage and generosity. Such differences reflect the variety of ways by which universalism, selectivity, and adequacy are built up together throughout Europe.

Economic instability, social changes, and new social policies place economic insecurity high on the scholarly and political agenda. We contribute to these debates by proposing a new multidimensional, intertemporal measure of economic insecurity that accounts for both its multiplicity and its dynamism. First, we develop three theory-driven, multidimensional measures of economic insecurity. Principal Components Analysis validates the measure. Second, we develop a dynamic approach to insecurity, using longitudinal data and a newly revised headcount method. Third, we then use our new measures to analyze the distribution of insecurity in Europe. Our analysis shows that insecurity is widespread across Europe, even in low-inequality, encompassing welfare states. Moreover, it extends across income groups and occupational classes, reaching into the middle classes.

Major cities are increasingly focused on being competitive on an international scale, developing innovative service sectors and investing in human capital. This has contributed to reshaping local socio-economic systems towards a knowledge economy by strategically fostering key business clusters. But what happens in terms of social inequality in this process? The purpose of this article is to analyse whether issues regarding challenges of social inequality and polarisation are considered in the strategies of urban centres positioning themselves in the global knowledge economy. This leads to a discussion about how the cities' strategies address potentially growing inequalities, combining goals of competitiveness, internationalisation and social inclusion. The article builds on case studies from Milan in Italy, Vienna in Austria and Aarhus in Denmark. The three cities are all drivers of growth in their respective regions and countries and are embedded in different national welfare regimes. At the same time, they display internal spatial differentiation in that the municipality covers areas of growth and affluence as well as deprivation. In the article, we combine analysis of policy documents and interviews with governance, business and community actors from the three locations. Our results show that the association between competitiveness and integration is shaped through specific state-city relationships, highlighting both the importance of the welfare framework and the specific urban policy tradition.

Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Experts from across the globe review leading social policy scholarship in this new volume in the Social Policy Review series. Specialists explore local and multi-level trends in social policy including government responses to the cost-of-living crisis in the UK and decentralisation in primary health care in Thailand. They also review policy responses to working age risks in England, Italy and Australia, as well as policy developments and transformations such as social protection in Japan and Australia and immigration resettlement schemes in the UK. Published in association with the Social Policy Association, the latest book in this respected series will be essential reading for students and academics in social policy, social welfare and related disciplines