This insightful book provides a systematic analysis of the development of affluent Western welfare states in this turbulent era. It explores the consequences for welfare states of modern crises such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. Most importantly, it investigates how to prioritize scarce resources in the face of many competing demands and argues that there is an urgent need to improve crisis funding whilst at the same time maintaining provision for vulnerable groups.

Bringing together a diverse team of expert contributors, chapters explore the key challenges faced by welfare states in this turbulent era, including changing demographic compositions, the impact of technological advances on working practices, financial crises, and shifting voter attitudes and expectations. Emphasizing how instability poses opportunities for new directions and developments, the book ultimately explores the pressures and possible ways forward for welfare states in years to come.



Providing nuanced perspectives on welfare states, this timely book will be ideal for students and scholars of sociology, social and public policy, political science, and development studies.