The comparative study of international public policies and programs has assumed great significance over the past decade. One of the reasons for this trend is that government actions within many countries have been expanded in their scope and impact. As public demands for effective governnment provision have increased, modern welfare states are confronted with difficult issues. National governments must determine the most appropriate mix of public and private provision of services, the most effective strategies of government intervention, and the economic and social consequences of public intervention.

The countries selected for this study represent a wide range of socioeconomic and political backgrounds and all possess mature welfare state systems. With the exception of Israel, the eight countries examined are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); this is particularly useful to this study because the organization collects standard public revenue and expenditure information for its member nations. In this volume, each country is analyzed from the perspective of its policies on health and social welfare. Each chapter follows the same general format of analysis: a brief history of policy development, current strategies of intervention, an evaluation, and implications for the future. This systematic study will prove to be an invaluable source of information for government officials, policy makers, public welfare agencies, and students in the social and political sciences.