The political sociology of the welfare state : institutions, social cleavages, and orientations / edited by Stefan Svallfors.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Ch. 1. Introduction / Stefan Svallfors -- Ch. 2. Class conflicts and institutional feedback effects in liberal and social democratic welfare regimes : attitudes toward state redistribution and welfare policy in six western countries / Jonas Edlund -- Ch. 3. Overloaded or undermined? : European welfare states in the face of performance dissatisfaction / Staffan Kumlin -- Ch. 4. Social risk, policy dissatisfaction, and political alienation : a comparison of six European countries / Maria Oskarson -- Ch. 5. The relationship between public service dissatisfaction and political action : does institutional design matter? / Maria Pettersson -- Ch. 6. Class and attitudes to market inequality : a comparison of Sweden, Britain, Germany, and the United States / Stefan Svallfors -- Ch. 7. Are we the people? : national sentiments in a changing political landscape / Mikael Hjerm -- Ch. 8. Conclusion : the past and future of political sociology / Stefan Svallfors.

"The Political Sociology of the Welfare State offers a comparative analysis of the political attitudes, values, aspirations, and identities of citizens in advanced industrial societies. It focuses on the different ways in which social policies and national politics affect people's opinions on justice, political responsibility, and the overall trustworthiness of politicians. How have socio-political orientations changed in recent years? How do national institutions impact people's attitudes and values? Is there a correlation between orientations and changing social stratification patterns? How are attitudes translated into action under different institutional arrangements? What impact do new supranational institutions have on the orientations of mass publics?"--BOOK JACKET.