Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Queensland's Budget Austerity And Its Impact On Social Welfare: Is The Cure Worse Than The Disease?, Gregory Marston
Queensland's Budget Austerity And Its Impact On Social Welfare: Is The Cure Worse Than The Disease?, Gregory Marston
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
While considerable attention has been paid to the austerity experiments in Europe, much less attention has been paid to austerity case studies from other parts of the world. This paper examines the case of Queensland, Australia, where the government has pursued austerity measures, while making dire warnings that unless public debt was slashed and the public service sector downsized, Queensland risked becoming the Spain of Australia. The comparison is incomprehensible, given the very different economic situation in Queensland compared with Spain. This comparison constructed a sense of crisis that helped to mask standard neoliberal economic reform. While pursuing neoliberal economic …
Austerity Versus Stimulus: Theoretical Perspectives And Policy Implications, James Midgley
Austerity Versus Stimulus: Theoretical Perspectives And Policy Implications, James Midgley
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Attempts to respond to the negative social and economic effects of the Great Recession have been cast in terms of the austerity versus stimulus debate. Although oversimplified, this debate reflects wider theoretical analyses of market economies and normative prescriptions for enhancing their functioning. Referencing the historical evolution of economic thought, these theories and their policy implications for responding to recessions are summarized and their relevance for social welfare is examined in the light of recent events.
The Bitter Pill: Austerity, Debt, And The Attack On Europe's Welfare States, Howard Karger
The Bitter Pill: Austerity, Debt, And The Attack On Europe's Welfare States, Howard Karger
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
There is a general belief among may European policymakers that the current debt problem in some Eurozone countries is caused by the unsustainable levels of governmental spending required to maintain overly generous welfare state programs, a bloated public sector, overly generous pension levels, state subsidies, and low user fees for services. Their proposed solution lies in implementing stringent austerity measures designed to discipline debt-ridden governments by cutting public budgets, reducing the number of public sector workers, curbing social benefits, and sharply narrowing the scope of the welfare state. Based on a belief in ‘expansionary austerity,’ this approach repudiates a key …
Between Retrenchment And Recalibration: The Impact Of Austerity On The Irish Social Protection System, Fiona Dukelow, Mairead Considine
Between Retrenchment And Recalibration: The Impact Of Austerity On The Irish Social Protection System, Fiona Dukelow, Mairead Considine
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
This article analyzes the impact of austerity on the Irish social protection system. The analysis is situated in Ireland’s wider financial and economic crisis and its status as an ‘early adopter’ of an austerity response which has continued under European Union/International Monetary Fund intervention. We focus on how the crisis instigated a political narrative about the cost and design of the social protection system, leading to a programme of retrenchment and reform which has blended a politics of blame avoidance with credit claiming. Three core elements in this narrative— generosity, sustainability and suitability— are identified, and against this background, a …
Rolling Downhill: Effects Of Austerity On Local Government Social Services In The United States, David B. Miller, Terry Hokenstad
Rolling Downhill: Effects Of Austerity On Local Government Social Services In The United States, David B. Miller, Terry Hokenstad
The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Austerity policies have been instituted in countries around the world attempting to address the fallout from the global economic crisis beginning in 2008 and still lingering through today. While the literature debates the economic impact of these policies, limited attention has been given to the effects of austerity at the local governmental level. It is posited that at the local government level, the effects of austerity policies are most noticeable and detrimental. States and local municipalities are “switching roles” with the federal government (Davidson, 2013, p. 1). They are providing jobs and social welfare services in the gap left by …