Welfare State Classification: The Development of Central Eastern European Welfare

Welfare State Classification:
The Development of Central Eastern European Welfare
States.
Master thesis International Public Policy and Management
Joost de Frel (282934)
Supervisor: Professor dr. Anton Hemerijck
Second reader: Dr. H. Fenger
Rotterdam, December 2009 1

1. Introduction
3 2. Theoretical background
6 2.1 Definitions
6 2.2 Two perspectives: path-dependence and policy diffusion
7 2.2.1 Path-dependence perspective
7 2.2.2 Policy diffusion perspective
8 2.3 Esping-Andersen’s welfare state classification
10 2.4 Bismarckian vs. Beveridgean welfare states
14 2.6 Conclusion
15 3. Central Eastern European welfare states
17 3.1 Introduction
17 3.2 Communist Welfare States
17 3.3 Welfare Reform Trajectories after Collapse Communism
18 3.4 Classification CEE welfare states
19 3.5 Conclusion
22 4. Methodology and Operationalisation
23 4.1 Introduction
23 4.2 Operationalisation
23 4.3 Reliability and validity
25 5. Poland
26 5.1 Introduction
26 5.2 Pension system
27 5.3 Family benefits
27 5.4 Health-care system
29 5.5 Labor market-policy
30 5.6 Conclusions
33 6. Slovakia
35 6.1 Introduction
35 6.2 Pension system
36 6.3 Family benefits
36 6.4 Health-care system
37 6.5 Labour market-policy
39 6.6 Conclusions
41 7. Conclusions
42 7.1 Path-dependence or policy diffusion?
42 7.2 Liberal, conservative, social democratic or hybrid welfare states?
43 7.3 One CEE welfare type in the future?
46 7.4 Esping-Adersen’s (in)stable welfare states
47 2