Welfare State Reforms Seen from Below

Bernhard Ebbinghaus is Professor of Social Policy at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention and Senior Fellow at the Green Templeton College at University of Oxford, UK. Previously, he was Professor of Sociology at the University of Mannheim. His research focuses on welfare reform processes, particularly in the areas of pension and labour market policies. Elias Naumann is Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Collaborative Research Center SFB 884 “Political Economy of Reforms” at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His research interests include comparative welfare state research, public opinion and experimental methods in the social sciences.

• 1. Introduction: Analysing Organized Interests and Public Opinion Towards Welfare Reforms.- Section 1: Organized Interests, Political Actors, and Social Groups.- 2. Membership or Influence Logic? The Response of Organized Interests to Retirement Age Reforms in Britain and Germany.- 3. Between Power and Persuasion: Explaining the Introduction of Statutory Minimum Wage Laws in Britain and Germany.- 4. Positions of Interests Groups towards Labour Market Reforms in Germany - A Novel Content Analysis of Press Releases.- 5. Class, Union or Party Allegiance? Comparing Pension Reform Preferences in Britain and Germany.- 6. Demand for Healthcare Reform by Public Opinion and Medical Professionals: A Comparative Survey Analysis.- Section 2: Public Attitudes Towards Reforms.- 7. The Popularity of Pension and Unemployment Policies Revisited: The Erosion of Public Support in Britain and Germany.- 8. Trust in Ageing Societies: Confidence in Pensions across Europe.- 9. Does Population Ageing Change Pension Reform Attitudes? A Survey Experiment on Political Knowledge, Ideology and Preferences.- 10. Increasing Conflict in Times of Retrenchment? Attitudes towards Healthcare Provision in Europe between 1996 and 2002.- 11. Conclusion: The Influence from Below – How Organized Interests and Public Attitudes Shape Welfare State Reforms in Europe.