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Abstract

Comparative politics allows us to appraise the policy relevance of political variables as distinct from those of cultural, societal, and economic variables. Recent research has made an initial contribution to what may be called comparative public policy; in the field of welfare policy, it has raised questions concerning the measurement of welfare needs, the relationship between resources and benefits, the role of political values, and the likelihood of policy diffusion among neighboring states. This study reviews four environmental variables, four political variables, and three measures of social security as applied to eight countries. In doing so, new information is brought to light concerning the significance of the variables and the direction further research should take.

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Correlates of Social Security Policy

Abstract

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