Economics
Explaining Variation in Welfare State Retrenchment Across Advanced Democracies
Quick fact
Even amid globalization and aging populations, retrenchment has been far from universal: some governments have cut social spending, while others have maintained or even expanded it. The key is that cutting popular programs is politically risky, so governments often use strategies to avoid blame.
Why this is interesting
Why do some countries sharply cut their welfare states, while others keep them largely intact, even when they face similar economic and demographic pressures?