Welfare benefits, as a type of scarce resource (or public good), can be used by the state in
exchange for loyalty, forming coalitions and breaking down a population's capacity to …

In recent years, the rationale of most welfare programs has been the subject of intense
political debate, not only in the United States but also in European countries (eg, Germany …

Across the globe, the financial crisis of 2008 stirred up the perception of scarcity among the
public and their elected officials. Once again, many societies are in the process of …

In this chapter, we present the main areas of empirical research and theoretical thought in
political science related to need-based distributive justice. From the perspective of positive …

There has been a long running debate among public choice theorists on the effects of
heterogeneity on collective action. Our longitudinal study leads us to conclude that collective …

In some countries the reform of public service provision has been ac& companied by a
parallel process of devolution. However, the application of fiscal federalism has not always …

This volume analyzes welfare policies by looking at the making of their target publics. It
examines how these populations are identified and constructed by policy making. The …

The thesis consists of three different essays which together present a structure to look at and
understand the multi-dimensional concept of state capacity. Each essay, in its inquiry …

Introduction On 16 September 2008, an international selection panel recommended the
European capital of culture 2013 be awarded to Marseilles. 1 'A successful balance between …

The adoption of neo-liberalism by Western governments has led to a transfer of
responsibility for social welfare from the state to individuals and their communities. In this …