The state of the welfare state: German social policy between macroeconomic retrenchment and microeconomic recalibration. From: West European Politics | Date: October 1, 2003| Author: Leibfried, Stephan; Obinger, Herbert | COPYRIGHT 2003 Frank Cass & Company Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Germany's welfare state has been exposed to severe challenges since the mid-1970s. This article takes stock of the state of German social policy. It sketches the development and patterns of social expenditure since the 1980s and provides an overview of the social policy reforms enacted by the Kohl and Schroder governments. No comprehensive short or medium term recalibration of the German welfare state has taken place that is likely to overcome its structural problems; but the various reform...