Party Systems and Social Policy

A Historical Comparison of Italy and Germany

Bibliographic Data

ID6407519
AuthorsGarnett Picot (0000-0003-3369-8727, corresponding author), Georg Picot
Year2014
Volume37
Issue1
Pages138-158
Publication date2014-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueWest European Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0140-2382 • E-ISSN: 1743-9655
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01402382.2013.801577
OpenAlexW1969864615
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited21

The article shows how the development of social policy in Italy and Germany was influenced by their respective party systems. Its focus is on the differences between systems of unemployment protection in the two countries after World War II. Due to many similarities between the two states, in particular the dominant presence of Christian democratic parties in both national governments at the time, this divergence cannot be adequately explained by standard theories. The article shows that it is crucial to take the widely different party systems into account: seven parties and ideological polarisation in Italy as opposed to three parties and moderate ideological differences in Germany. These generated different political dynamics and, consequently, different policy output

Democracy · Divergence (linguistics · Economic growth · Economics · Ideology · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Social democracy · Social Democratic Party · Sociology · Unemployment · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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