Daniel Shapiro is Associate Professor of Philosophy at West Virginia University. A specialist in political philosophy and public policy, he has published in Public Affairs Quarterly, Social Philosophy and Policy, Journal of Political Philosophy, and Law and Philosophy. In the spring of 2003, he was a Distinguished Visiting Humphrey Lecturer at the University of Waterloo.

'This is a marvellous, unusual book. It's one of the few attempts in political philosophy that go beyond examining what principles of justice require, by investigating whether contemporary institutions designed to produce those outcomes actually do better than realistic alternatives.' Jeffrey Friedman, editor of Critical Review

• 1. Introduction; 2. Central perspectives in political philosophy; 3. Health insurance, part I; 4. Health insurance, part II; 5. Old-age or retirement pensions; 6. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part I; 7. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part II; 8. Conclusion.

Daniel Shapiro is Associate Professor of Philosophy at West Virginia University. A specialist in political philosophy and public policy, he has published in Public Affairs Quarterly, Social Philosophy and Policy, Journal of Political Philosophy, and Law and Philosophy. In the spring of 2003, he was a Distinguished Visiting Humphrey Lecturer at the University of Waterloo.

'This is a marvellous, unusual book. It's one of the few attempts in political philosophy that go beyond examining what principles of justice require, by investigating whether contemporary institutions designed to produce those outcomes actually do better than realistic alternatives.' Jeffrey Friedman, editor of Critical Review

• 1. Introduction; 2. Central perspectives in political philosophy; 3. Health insurance, part I; 4. Health insurance, part II; 5. Old-age or retirement pensions; 6. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part I; 7. Welfare or means-tested benefits, part II; 8. Conclusion.