The Social Consequences of the Crisis
A factor to be taken into consideration in evaluating the social consequences of the financial crisis and subsequent recession is the long-period trend to be seen towards increasing social inequality. In the case of Italy the data reveal symptoms of the social gap appearing even before the recent crisis, but growing inequality is by no means limited to Italy. Indeed, the trends towards inequality have led sociologists to abandon the image of confluence at the centre, putting in its place that of the social gap. The crisis of deregulation brings back to the fore the possibility of considering organic measures to relaunch the economy, and new agreements to promote social cohesion.
Path dependency and convergence of three worlds of welfare policy during the Great Recession: UK, Germany and Sweden
This paper investigates policy responses to the Great Recession in Sweden, the United Kingdom and Germany. Faced with the global financial crisis in 2007, responses in the respective countries differed considerably and followed the “old” paths of their institutional legacies. We focus on labour market and social welfare policies and demonstrate how these differing responses were shaped by path-dependent ideational paradigms. Since these paradigms are first and foremost carried by policy communities, the analysis does not, in contrast to prior studies, only rely on policy documents but outlines the process as seen from the perspective of key public officials and experts in the respective fields. The paper shows how the crisis was perceived and which kinds of arguments were used for explaining the liberal (UK), conservative (Germany) and social–democratic (Sweden) responses to crisis.
Key Considerations for an Economic and Legal Framework Facilitating Medical Travel
Medical travel has the capacity to counter increasing costs of health care by creating new markets and increased revenue for health services, potentially benefiting local populations, economies, and health-care systems. This paper is part of a broad, comprehensive project aimed at developing a global health access policy (GHAP). It presents key issues to consider in terms of ensuring economic viability, sustainability, and limiting risk to the many stakeholders involved in the rapidly expanding industry of medical travel. The noted economic and legal barriers to medical travel are based on a synthesis of themes found in an extensive review of the available literature. Economic considerations, when setting up a GHAP, include a dynamic approach to pricing that is fair to the local population. Legal considerations include the implementation of international quality standards and the protection of the rights of those traveling as well as those of local populations in recipient countries. By taking into account these opportunities, the GHAP will more adequately address existing gaps in the economic and legal regulation of medical travel.