An Economic History of the Spanish Welfare State

The Political Economy of Social Policy from the Mid-19th Century to the Present
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-0-367-45666-5
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd (Sales)

Buch, Englisch, 282 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 576 g

Reihe: Routledge Explorations in Economic History

This monograph analyses the evolution of the welfare state in Spain from qualitative and quantitative perspectives. It basically relies on estimates of public social spending from 1850 to the present and offers comparisons with the rest of Europe.

As a whole, the volume sheds light on the historical, political, and economic conditions at play during the relatively late development of the Spanish welfare state. Three key driving factors are explored: the political regime, social inequality, and Spain’s exposure to international markets. While economic backwardness and demographic factors explain part of the story, Espuelas demonstrates that inequality explains much of the pre-1936 gap; the lack of democracy and the Franco dictatorship were crucial up to the 1970s, and globalization, rather than having a clear positive or negative effect, has mainly influenced the way social policy is financed.

This volume will be of interest to advanced students and researchers of economic history, welfare states, European history, and social policy.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Espuelas, Sergio

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik Wirtschafts- und Finanzpolitik
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein Demographie, Demoskopie
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftsgeschichte
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Volkswirtschaftslehre Allgemein
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik Sozialpolitik
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Wirtschaftspolitik, politische Ökonomie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

PART I: Overview Introduction 1. Theories on social spending and the Welfare State Part II: Social Protection Before the Welfare State 2. The Scope of Poor Relief and Self-Help: from the mid-19th century to the 1930s 2. Appendix Part III: The Construction of the Welfare State 3. Backwardness, Inequality, and Social Spending in Spain (1883-1936) 4. Social policy under the Franco dictatorship Part IV: Recent Developments and Current Challenges 5. Democracy and (gradual) convergence with Europe 6. Conclusions: Some Lessons from History

Über Autor(innen)

Sergio Espuelas is Associate Professor at the Department of Economic History at the University of Barcelona (UB). He has also been a visiting researcher at the University of Kent; the University of California, Davis; and the London School of Economics. His research interests are the economic history of the welfare state and redistribution, and more generally the role of the state in the economy, in Western Europe, and in Latin America. He is currently a member of the academic committee of the Master in Institutions and Political Economy at UB and director of the PhD program in Economic History, also at UB.