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.

• 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

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.

• 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